FORT WORTH, Texas, March 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At the Health
Industries Council meeting on March 11, in Irving, Harvey Brenner, Ph.D. and
professor of public health and behavioral sciences at the University of North
Texas Health Science Center's School of Public Health, announced new findings
that indicate that mortality is directly related to the economy.
Specifically, unemployment and reduced spending on health care have a direct
effect on the country's mortality rate.
"We have seen this correlation in cardiovascular disease," Brenner related.
"But these are the first findings that show a direct correlation between
reduced health care expenditures and reduced labor force participation on
increases in mortality."
Since World War II, research literature has shown that economic development is
good for health in developing countries. However, it isn't clear if this same
economic development in already developed countries has the same benefits. In
fact, Brenner's research shows that unemployment is a much more important
factor in health and well-being than economic development.
"Interestingly, this economic downturn is showing how quickly the effects of
unemployment and, thus, reduction of health care expenditures is resulting in
mortality," Brenner said. "In the past, we saw people die within 10 years
after their job loss. Now, we are seeing them die as early as the same year."
When a worker becomes unemployed, he or she often loses health insurance,
suffers stress and adopts unhealthy behavior as a result. They may delay
preventive health care because of the cost or loss of health insurance
coverage. The stress of being unemployed causes both physical and
psychological issues that may eventually erupt into major medical conditions
that easily could have been treated earlier.
The bottom line is, preventing and controlling health issues is more important
in a down economy as more and more people struggle to balance the need for
food, shelter and health care.
University of North Texas Health Science Center
The University of North Texas Health Science Center is composed of the Texas
College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences,
the School of Public Health, and the School of Health Professions. The Health
Science Center conducts leading-edge research on select health issues,
including vision, aging, cancer, heart disease, physical medicine and public
health. This year, the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine was named a top
50 medical school in primary care by U.S. News and World Report for the
seventh consecutive year. The institution contributes almost $600 million to
Tarrant County and Texas economies annually. For more information, go to
www.hsc.unt.edu.
SOURCE University of North Texas Health Science Center
Dana Benton Russell, +1-817-735-2446, cell: +1-972-768-5128,
drussell@hsc.unt.edu
