Study: Fear of Job Loss Can Increase Asthma Risk

Fear of losing one’s job can cause a marked increase in the risk of developing asthma, according to a new study released Tuesday.

The study, published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, found that for every 25% increase in job security that a worker felt, that worker’s likelihood of developing asthma increased by 24%. For people who told researchers it was more likely than not that they would lose their job, the risk of developing asthma climbed 60%.

Fear of losing one’s job has been linked to a number of negative health outcomes, but this is the first time it has been linked to the risk of developing asthma, the study’s authors said.

The study surveyed the records of more than 7,000 working German adults between 2009 and 2011, a time in which European economies were in downturn.