Selasa, 24 April 2012

Why the chance of an early death has not fallen for middle-income women over the last decade

Why the chance of an early death has not fallen for middle-income women over the last decade

  • Development marks end of trend that first began in 1840s

By Steve Doughty

PUBLISHED: 19:56 EST, 24 April 2012 | UPDATED: 21:04 EST, 24 April 2012


No change: Traffic wardens have not seen any improvement in their chances of avoiding an early death

No change: Traffic wardens have not seen any improvement in their chances of avoiding an early death (picture posed by model)

Mortality rates for middle-income women have stalled over the past decade, official figures show.

The Office for National Statistics found that, for many women, the chances of an early death have not fallen since 2001.

The development marks the end of a historic trend of falling mortality rates for both sexes that dates back to the 1840s.

There has been no improvement since 2001 among women aged between 25 and 59 whose social class is recorded as ‘intermediate’, the ONS said.

That group includes women working in sales, medical and dental technicians, and some creative workers, such as graphic designers.

Veterinary nurses, traffic wardens and supermarket staff have also seen their chances of avoiding an early death fail to improve.

An ONS report said the trend for women is now ‘considerably different’ from that for men. Critics said the news is evidence that the flood of mothers into the employment market over the past 15 years is taking its toll on the health of many.

Around seven out of ten mothers now have either full- or part-time jobs, compared with less than a third 30 years ago. The proportion passed 50 per cent in the late 1990s.

Nearly a third of those with children still at school now have full-time jobs.

Women workers: Patricia Hewitt said mothers who refused to work were a 'real problem'

Women workers: Patricia Hewitt said mothers who refused to work were a 'real problem'

The previous Labour government put heavy pressure on mothers to take jobs, with one minister, Patricia Hewitt, complaining that those who refused to work were a ‘real problem’.

Despite promises in opposition, the Conservative-led government has done little to reverse the trend by helping mothers to stay at home.

Families expert and author Jill Kirby said: ‘More and more women have joined the labour market and too often they have also been carrying their traditional responsibility for raising the family. This is taking a toll on their health.’

She added: ‘Equal opportunities are very important but we need to do something about the dual burden on mothers.’

ONS researchers said that mortality rates among all working-age men have continued to decline steadily â€" meaning that fewer are dying before they retire.

They stressed that ‘for women, there was a decrease in mortality rates between 2001 and 2010 for most classes’. Howeve r, this did not apply to women in jobs classed as intermediate, lower supervisory and technical, or semi-routine.

The report suggested that ‘patterns in women’s health are more strongly affected than men’s health by non-occupational factors’.

It added: ‘It can be argued that women’s historically greater life expectancy means that there is greater potential for mortality improvement in men generally.’

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