title: Influence of health on job-search behavior and re-employment: the role of job-search cognitions and coping resources.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the influence of poor health on job-search behavior and re-employment, and the mediating role of job-search cognitions and coping resources.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was conducted among unemployed persons receiving social security benefits in the Netherlands (n = 510). Self-rated health, self-esteem, mastery, job-search cognitions, and the intention to search for a job were measured at baseline. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate determinants of job-search behavior during a follow-up period of 6 months. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to investigate the influence of health, job-search cognitions and coping resources on re-employment during a mean follow-up period of 23 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Persons with poor health were less likely to search for paid employment (OR 0.58, 95 % CI 0.39-0.85) and were also less likely to find paid employment (HR 0.58, 95 % CI 0.39-0.89). Persons with a positive attitude toward job-search, high perceived social pressure to look for a job, high job-search self-efficacy and high job-search intention were more likely to search actively and also to actually find paid employment. Adjustment for job-search cognitions and coping reduced the influence of health on active search behavior by 50 % and on re-employment by 33 %.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health-related differences in job-search behavior and re-employment can be partly explained by differences in coping, job-search attitude, self-efficacy, and subjective norms towards job-search behavior. Measures to reduce the negative impact of poor health on re-employment should address the interplay of health with job-search cognitions and coping resources.
authors: Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, b.carlier@erasmusmc.nl.
authors: B E
authors: BE
authors: Carlier
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Schuring
authors: F J
authors: FJ
authors: van Lenthe
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Burdorf
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001519:Behavior; D003071:Cognition; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D000067656:Optimism; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012737:Sex Factors; D014478:Unemployment / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult