Accumulated exposure to unemployment is related to impaired glucose metabolism in middle-aged men: A follow-up of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966

Nina Rautio; Tuulia Varanka-Ruuska; Eeva Vaaramo; Saranya Palaniswamy; Rozenn Nedelec; Jouko Miettunen; Jaro Karppinen; Juha Auvinen; Marjo-Riitta Järvelin; Sirkka Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi; Sylvain Sebert; Leena Ala-Mursula

doi:10.1016/j.pcd.2017.03.010

Accumulated exposure to unemployment is related to impaired glucose metabolism in middle-aged men: A follow-up of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966

Prim Care Diabetes. 2017 Aug;11(4):365-372. doi: 10.1016/j.pcd.2017.03.010. Epub 2017 Apr 26.

Affiliations

¹ Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland; Unit of Primary Health Care, Oulu University Hospital, OYS, P.O. Box 20, 90029 Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland; Kallio Primary Health Care Unit, Kirkkotie 4, 84100 Ylivieska, Finland. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland; Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland; Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁶ Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁷ Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland; Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Aapistie 1, 90220 Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁸ Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland; Unit of Primary Health Care, Oulu University Hospital, OYS, P.O. Box 20, 90029 Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁹ Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland; Unit of Primary Health Care, Oulu University Hospital, OYS, P.O. Box 20, 90029 Oulu, Finland; MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, Praed Street Wing, St. Mary's Campus, Paddington, W2 IPG London, United Kingdom; Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland.
¹⁰ Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland; Unit of Primary Health Care, Oulu University Hospital, OYS, P.O. Box 20, 90029 Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹¹ Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland; Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland; Department of Genomics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, SW7 London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹² Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014 Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 28456438
DOI: 10.1016/j.pcd.2017.03.010

Abstract

Aims: We explored whether registered unemployment is associated with impaired glucose metabolism in general population.

Methods: Based on Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 at 46 years, we analyzed the oral glucose tolerance tests of 1970 men and 2544 women in relation to their preceding three-year employment records in three categories of unemployment exposure: no (employed), low (≤1-year) and high exposure (>1-year).

Results: Among men, pre-diabetes was found in 19.2% of those with no unemployment, 23.0% with low and 27.0% with high exposure, the corresponding figures for screen-detected type 2 diabetes were 3.8%, 3.8% and 9.2% (p<0.01). Among women, analogous figures for pre-diabetes were 10.0%, 12.6% and 16.2% and for screen-detected type 2 diabetes 1.7%, 3.4% and 3.6% (p<0.01). Men with high exposure to unemployment had a higher risk for pre-diabetes (OR 1.61, CI 95% 1.03-2.51) and screen-detected type 2 diabetes (OR 2.58 95% CI 1.23-5.44) than employed men, after adjustment for education, smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity and body mass index. Among women, associations were attenuated in the adjusted models.

Conclusions: High exposure to unemployment may predispose to type 2 diabetes in middle-aged men. For clinicians, awareness of the patient's unemployment status may be helpful in recognizing undiagnosed cases.

Keywords: Pre-diabetes; Type 2 diabetes; Unemployment.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Age Factors
Biomarkers / blood
Blood Glucose / metabolism*
Chi-Square Distribution
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / blood*
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / diagnosis
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / epidemiology*
Female
Finland / epidemiology
Follow-Up Studies
Glucose Tolerance Test
Humans
Logistic Models
Male
Middle Aged
Multivariate Analysis
Odds Ratio
Prediabetic State / blood*
Prediabetic State / diagnosis
Prediabetic State / epidemiology*
Registries
Risk Factors
Sex Factors
Surveys and Questionnaires
Time Factors
Unemployment*

Substances

Biomarkers
Blood Glucose