Drissa Sia1, Malgorzata Miszkurka2, Malek Batal3, Hélène Delisle3, Maria Victoria Zunzunegui4,5. 1. 1Département des sciences infirmières, Campus de Saint-Jérôme, Université du Québec en Outaouais, 5, rue Saint-Joseph, bureau J-3226, Saint Jérôme, Québec J7Z 0B7 Canada. 2. 2Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec Canada. 3. 3Département de nutrition, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec Canada. 4. 4Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec Canada. 5. 5École de santé publique, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec Canada.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Immigration status and unemployment may intersect on the health outcomes of men and women. This study aimed to identify intersections between unemployment and immigration in inflammatory, metabolic and nutritional blood markers and assess gender differences. METHODS: We used Canadian Health Measures Survey data on 2493 participants aged 18 to 65. Outcomes were chronic inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and fibrinogen), nutritional (albumin and hemoglobin), and metabolic blood markers (glycosylated hemoglobin, blood glucose, total and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol). Multivariate linear regressions were used to assess the associations between each biomarker, unemployment and immigrant status, controlling for age, education, province, smoking, physical inactivity and body mass index and testing for multiplicative interactions between unemployment, immigrant status and gender. RESULTS: Unemployment was associated with higher inflammation (hsCRP and fibrinogen) in Canadian born men; Canadian born employed women showed higher hsCRP values compared with corresponding employed men. Unemployed immigrant women presented the highest values of hsCRP while employed immigrant women had the lowest hsCRP. Unemployment was associated with higher glucose; immigrant status was associated with higher glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin. Unemployed immigrants had significantly lower levels of hemoglobin and albumin than employed immigrants, and Canadian-born citizens regardless of their employment status. Some of these associations were attenuated after adjustment by body mass index, physical inactivity and smoking. CONCLUSION: Blood biomarkers unveil intersections among unemployment, immigration and gender. This study provides evidence on biological pathways of unemployment on the likelihood of common chronic diseases, inflammation and potential malnutrition with some increased vulnerabilities in unemployed immigrants, and particularly in unemployed immigrant women.
BACKGROUND: Immigration status and unemployment may intersect on the health outcomes of men and women. This study aimed to identify intersections between unemployment and immigration in inflammatory, metabolic and nutritional blood markers and assess gender differences. METHODS: We used Canadian Health Measures Survey data on 2493 participants aged 18 to 65. Outcomes were chronic inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and fibrinogen), nutritional (albumin and hemoglobin), and metabolic blood markers (glycosylated hemoglobin, blood glucose, total and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol). Multivariate linear regressions were used to assess the associations between each biomarker, unemployment and immigrant status, controlling for age, education, province, smoking, physical inactivity and body mass index and testing for multiplicative interactions between unemployment, immigrant status and gender. RESULTS: Unemployment was associated with higher inflammation (hsCRP and fibrinogen) in Canadian born men; Canadian born employed women showed higher hsCRP values compared with corresponding employed men. Unemployed immigrant women presented the highest values of hsCRP while employed immigrant women had the lowest hsCRP. Unemployment was associated with higher glucose; immigrant status was associated with higher glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin. Unemployed immigrants had significantly lower levels of hemoglobin and albumin than employed immigrants, and Canadian-born citizens regardless of their employment status. Some of these associations were attenuated after adjustment by body mass index, physical inactivity and smoking. CONCLUSION: Blood biomarkers unveil intersections among unemployment, immigration and gender. This study provides evidence on biological pathways of unemployment on the likelihood of common chronic diseases, inflammation and potential malnutrition with some increased vulnerabilities in unemployed immigrants, and particularly in unemployed immigrant women.
Entities:
Keywords:
Biomarkers; Canada; Canadian health measurement survey; Gender; Immigrants; Unemployment
Authors: Thomas A Pearson; George A Mensah; R Wayne Alexander; Jeffrey L Anderson; Richard O Cannon; Michael Criqui; Yazid Y Fadl; Stephen P Fortmann; Yuling Hong; Gary L Myers; Nader Rifai; Sidney C Smith; Kathryn Taubert; Russell P Tracy; Frank Vinicor Journal: Circulation Date: 2003-01-28 Impact factor: 29.690
Authors: John Danesh; Jeremy G Wheeler; Gideon M Hirschfield; Shinichi Eda; Gudny Eiriksdottir; Ann Rumley; Gordon D O Lowe; Mark B Pepys; Vilmundur Gudnason Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2004-04-01 Impact factor: 91.245