Unemployment and ill health: a connection through inflammation?
BACKGROUND
Unemployment is a source of acute and long-term psychosocial stress. Acute and chronic psychosocial stress can induce pronounced changes in human immune responses. In this study we tested our hypothesis that stress-induced low-grade tissue inflammation is more prevalent among the unemployed.


METHODS
We determined the inflammatory status of 225 general population subjects below the general retirement age (65 years in Finland). Those who had levels of both interleukin-6 (>or= 0.97 pg/mL) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (>or= 1.49 mg/L) above the median were assessed to have an elevated inflammatory status (n = 72).


RESULTS
An elevated inflammatory status was more common among the unemployed than among other study participants (59% versus 30%, p = 0.011). In the final multivariate model, those who were unemployed had over five-fold greater odds for having an elevated inflammatory status (OR 5.20, 95% CI 1.55-17.43, p = 0.008).


CONCLUSIONS
This preliminary finding suggests that stress-induced low-grade inflammation might be a link between unemployment and ill health.
Hintikka
Jukka
J
Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Kuopio, FI-70210 Kuopio, Finland. jukka.hintikka@kuh.fi
Lehto
Soili M
SM
Niskanen
Leo
L
Huotari
Anne
A
Herzig
Karl-Heinz
KH
Koivumaa-Honkanen
Heli
H
Honkalampi
Kirsi
K
Sinikallio
Sanna
S
Viinamäki
Heimo
H
D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D057172:Economic Recession; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D014478:Unemployment / Q000523:psychology*
D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein