In:
PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science (PLoS), Vol. 17, No. 8 ( 2022-8-18), p. e0273218-
Abstract:
Becoming unemployed is associated with poorer health, including weight gain. Middle- and older-age adults are a growing segment of workforces globally, but they are also more vulnerable to changes to employment status, especially during economic shocks. Expected workforce exits over the next decade may exacerbate both the obesity epidemic and the economic burden of obesity. This review extends current knowledge on economic correlates of health to assess whether employment transitions impact body weight by sex/gender among middle-aged and older adults. Methods Eight bibliometric databases were searched between June and July 2021, supplemented by hand-searches, with no restriction on publication date or country. Longitudinal studies, or reviews, were eligible when examining body weight as a function of employment status change in adults ≥50 years. Data extraction and quality appraisal used predefined criteria; reported findings were analysed by narrative synthesis. Results We screened 6,001 unique abstracts and identified 12 articles that met inclusion criteria. All studies examined retirement; of which two also examined job-loss. Overall, studies showed that retirement led to weight gain or no difference in weight change compared to non-retirees; however, reported effects were not consistent for either women or men across studies or for both women and men within a study. Reported effects also differed by occupation: weight gain was more commonly observed among retirees from physical occupations but not among retirees from sedentary occupations. Few studies assessed the role of health behaviours; sleep was the least studied. Most studies were medium quality. Conclusions Existing studies do not provide a clear enough picture of how employment transitions affect body weight. Firm conclusions on the impact of employment transitions on weight cannot be made without further high-quality evidence that considers the role of gender, job-type, other health behaviours, and other transitions, like job-loss.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1932-6203
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218.g001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218.t001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218.t002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218.t003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218.t004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218.t005
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218.s001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218.s002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218.s003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218.s004
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218.s005
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218.s006
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218.r001
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218.r002
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218.r003
DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0273218.r004
Language:
English
Publisher:
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Publication Date:
2022
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2267670-3
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