A major international study has suggested that workers fearful of losing their jobs are at greater risk of developing asthma as a result of their stress.
The research, conducted by scientists at the University of Düsseldorf, the University of Amsterdam, and Massey University in New Zealand, analysed data from over 7,000 workers internationally, making allowances for other factors already known to increase the risk of asthma, such as smoking and obesity, in their study. They found that work-related stress increased the risk of people developing asthma for the first time.
The results support previous studies which point to a link between asthma and stress, the researchers said, with factors such as companies downsizing and using temporary contracts, or other “flexible forms of contracting” thought to “increase job insecurity among employees”. Those with “high job insecurity” were subject to a “roughly 60 per cent excess risk of asthma”, the study says, compared to workers who thought they had a low or non-existent chance of losing their job.
“This study has shown for the first time that perceived job insecurity during the recent economic crisis may increase the risk of new-onset asthma in adulthood,” the paper, published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, states.
“The economic crisis in Europe, which started in 2008, has accelerated this development and has been paralleled by increased perceptions of job insecurity in most European Union countries.”
The study was carried out using data sourced between 2009 and 2011 from 7,000 workers who responded to the German Socio-Economic Panel Study, a survey commissioned annually to gather the thoughts of the German population. 105 new cases of asthma were identified amongst the survey group during this time period and researchers found that those worried about losing their job were far more likely to go on to develop asthma – 2.12 per cent compared with 1.3 per cent of workers who had such worries and thought the risk of losing their job was low.
Researchers said the findings “provide a possible explanation for the increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms during the recent economic crisis in the UK.”
Dr Samantha Walker, director of Research and Policy at Asthma UK, said in response to the latest figures: “Stress is a well-known trigger for asthma symptoms; 69 per cent of people with the condition say it causes them to experience asthma symptoms that may lead them to have a potentially life-threatening asthma attack.
“Years of under-funding of asthma research means that there is still much for us to learn so we urge researchers to explore these findings in more detail.”
Chris Woods, Solicitor at Russell Worth solicitors, said “This study is a reminder not to underestimate the risks to our health sometimes present in our jobs but, as always, there are some things that are ultimately out of our control.
“We have seen an increased number of asthma cases over recent years and uncertainty over the economic climate could be to blame. However, we would welcome more research on this subject.”
If you have suffered at work and this has had a detrimental effect on your health, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation. At Russell Worth solicitors we have helped many people who have suffered as a result of their job. If you think you may have a claim, or you’d simply like to talk your situation through with a member of the team, give us a call today on 0800 028 2060 or visit www.compensation.co.uk.