abstract: 'Background: One important component of social inclusion is the

  improvement of well-being through encouraging participation in

  employment and work life. However, the ways that employment contributes

  to wellbeing are complex. This study investigates how poor health status

  might act as a barrier to gaining good quality work, and how good

  quality work is an important pre-requisite for positive health outcomes.

  Methods: This study uses data from the PATH Through Life Project,

  analysing baseline and follow-up data on employment status, psychosocial

  job quality, and mental and physical health status from 4261 people in

  the Canberra and Queanbeyan region of south-eastern Australia.

  Longitudinal analyses conducted across the two time points investigated

  patterns of change in employment circumstances and associated changes in

  physical and mental health status.

  Results: Those who were unemployed and those in poor quality jobs

  (characterised by insecurity, low marketability and job strain) were

  more likely to remain in these circumstances than to move to better

  working conditions. Poor quality jobs were associated with poorer

  physical and mental health status than better quality work, with the

  health of those in the poorest quality jobs comparable to that of the

  unemployed. For those who were unemployed at baseline, pre-existing

  health status predicted employment transition. Those respondents who

  moved from unemployment into poor quality work experienced an increase

  in depressive symptoms compared to those who moved into good quality

  work.

  Conclusions: This evidence underlines the difficulty of moving from

  unemployment into good quality work and highlights the need for social

  inclusion policies to consider people''s pre-existing health conditions

  and promote job quality.'
affiliation: 'Leach, LS (Corresponding Author), Australian Natl Univ, Mental Hlth
  Res Ctr, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.

  Leach, Liana S.; Butterworth, Peter; Olesen, Sarah C., Australian Natl Univ, Mental
  Hlth Res Ctr, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.

  Strazdins, Lyndall; Broom, Dorothy H., Australian Natl Univ, Natl Ctr Epidemiol
  \& Populat Hlth, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.

  Rodgers, Bryan, Australian Natl Univ, Australian Demog \& Social Res Inst, Canberra,
  ACT 0200, Australia.'
article-number: '621'
author: Leach, Liana S. and Butterworth, Peter and Strazdins, Lyndall and Rodgers,
  Bryan and Broom, Dorothy H. and Olesen, Sarah C.
author-email: Liana.Leach@anu.edu.au
author_list:
- family: Leach
  given: Liana S.
- family: Butterworth
  given: Peter
- family: Strazdins
  given: Lyndall
- family: Rodgers
  given: Bryan
- family: Broom
  given: Dorothy H.
- family: Olesen
  given: Sarah C.
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-621
files: []
issn: 1471-2458
journal: BMC PUBLIC HEALTH
keywords-plus: 'CORONARY-HEART-DISEASE; MENTAL-HEALTH; COMMUNITY SAMPLE; JOB INSECURITY;

  YOUNG MEN; BAD JOBS; UNEMPLOYMENT; WORK; DEPRESSION; SELECTION'
language: English
month: OCT 19
number-of-cited-references: '53'
orcid-numbers: 'Rodgers, Bryan/0000-0002-2863-3737

  Leach, Liana/0000-0003-3686-2553

  Butterworth, Peter/0000-0002-1531-3881

  Strazdins, Lyndall/0000-0001-5158-6855

  Olesen, Sarah/0000-0001-9564-6661'
papis_id: d4a9ecd893b03d6af363c248d17a75af
ref: Leach2010limitationsemploymen
researcherid-numbers: 'Butterworth, Peter/AFK-2636-2022

  Rodgers, Bryan/B-2090-2013

  '
times-cited: '40'
title: The limitations of employment as a tool for social inclusion
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000283874000001
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '14'
volume: '10'
web-of-science-categories: Public, Environmental \& Occupational Health
year: '2010'