Skip to main content

Table 2 Changes in health due to loss of work and return to work during the COVID-19 pandemic

From: Changes in work and health of Australians during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal cohort study

 

Number of occasions (%)

Adjusted estimates for differences in health score [95% Confidence Interval]

Psychological distress (-β < 0: worse distress)a

Mental health  < 0: poorer health)

Physical health  < 0: poorer health)

Model 1. Does being out of work early in the pandemic affect health 6 months later?

6859 (100.0)

   

No Work at baseline * baseline

1154 (16.8)

-1.23** [-1.52, -0.93]

-2.33** [-3.01, -1.65]

0.94** [0.44, 1.44]

No Work at baseline * 1 month

644 (9.4)

-0.39* [-0.74, -0.05]

-0.37 [-1.20, 0.45]

0.14 [-0.48, 0.75]

No Work at baseline * 3 months

547 (8.0)

-0.33 [-0.73, 0.08]

-0.20 [-1.17, 0.77]

-0.31 [-1.02, 0.41]

No Work at baseline * 6 months

475 (6.9)

-0.22 [-0.73, 0.29]

-0.16 [-1.36, 1.05]

-1.29** [-2.17, -0.41]

Working at baseline * baseline

1449 (21.1)

0.00 (ref.)

0.00 (ref.)

0.00 (ref.)

Working at baseline * 1 month

1002 (14.6)

0.48** [0.24, 0.71]

1.56** [1.00, 2.12]

0.04 [-0.37, 0.46]

Working at baseline * 3 months

836 (12.2)

0.81** [0.54, 1.08]

2.11** [1.47, 2.75]

-0.34 [-0.81, 0.13]

Working at baseline * 6 months

752 (11.0)

1.16** [0.86, 1.45]

2.72** [2.02, 3.42]

-0.50 [-1.01, 0.00]

Model 2.1. Do health impacts differ for people not working?

6859 (100.0)

   

No work (N)

2196 (32.0)

-1.13** [-1.35, -0.91]

-2.29** [-2.80, 1.78]

0.32 [-0.06, 0.70]

Work (W)

4663 (68.0)

0.00 (ref.)

0.00 (ref.)

0.00 (ref.)

Model 2.2. Do health impacts differ for people not working if they are employed?

6859 (100.0)

   

No work (N) * Unemployed

1163 (17.0)

-1.65** [-1.94, -1.37]

-3.03** [-3.68, -2.38]

0.08 [-0.41, 0.57]

No work (N) * Employed

1033 (15.1)

-0.70** [-0.96, -0.44]

-1.65** [-2.27, -1.04]

0.52* [0.06, 0.98]

Working (W) * Employed

4463 (68.0)

0.00 (ref.)

0.00 (ref.)

0.00 (ref.)

Model 3. What are the health impacts of changes in exposure to work?

6588 (100.0)

   

No work to No work (N * N)

796 (12.1)

-1.19** [-1.55, -0.83]

-2.46** [-3.27, -1.64]

-0.30 [-0.91, 0.30]

Working to No work (W * N)

1346 (20.4)

-1.07** [-1.36, -0.78]

-2.23** [-2.88, -1.58]

0.29 [-0.20, 0.77]

No work to Working (N * W)

509 (7.7)

0.04 [-0.28, 0.36]

-0.03 [-0.79, 0.73]

-0.54 [-1.11, 0.02]

Working to Working (W * W)

3936 (59.8)

0.00 (ref.)

0.00 (ref.)

0.00 (ref.)

Model 4. How does the longitudinal context of changes in work effect health?

6529 (100)

   

N * N * N

307 (4.7)

-1.36** [-1.88, -0.84]

-2.56** [-3.74, -1.37]

-1.17** [-2.06, -0.28]

W * N * N

226 (3.5)

-0.89** [-1.30, -0.47]

-2.01** [-2.96, -1.07]

-0.65 [-1.36, 0.06]

N * W * N

53 (0.8)

-0.92*[-1.77, -0.07]

-1.77 [-3.81, 0.26]

-0.74 [-2.25, 0.77]

W * W * N

216 (3.3)

-0.98** [-1.29, -0.66]

-2.09** [-2.80, -1.39]

0.01 [-0.52, 0.55]

N * N * W

486 (7.4)

0.40 [-0.11, 0.91]

0.66 [-0.52, 1.85]

-1.65** [-2.54, -0.75]

W * N * W

269 (4.1)

0.03 [-0.41, 0.47]

-0.06 [-1.09, 0.96]

-0.74 [-1.51, 0.03]

N * W * W

1291 (19.8)

0.32 [-0.15, 0.80]

0.62 [-0.50, 1.73]

-1.39** [-2.22, -0.55]

W * W * W

3681 (56.4)

0.00 (ref.)

0.00 (ref.)

0.00 (ref.)

  1. 0.05 ≤ p < 0.1,*0.01 ≤ p < 0.05, **p < 0.01
  2. aCoefficients and confidence intervals listed for psychological distress within the table have been negated (i.e. ) to ease comparisons with corresponding coefficients for mental health. Models controlled for gender, age group, pre-existing health conditions, survey time-point, and interactions of survey time-point with residential location (i.e. Victoria or the Rest of Australia); N No work, W Working