Study Says Self-Employed Women Are Often Healthier

A new study suggests that women who are their own bosses might be overall happier and healthier because of it. This study spoke with more than 4,600 working women and found that those who are self-employed had a tendency to be less obese, had better blood pressure, and were less likely to have diabetes. All of this also helped to lower their risk of heart-disease.

The findings, published recently in the journal BMC Women’s Health, are based on a 2016 health survey of U.S. adults. It included 4,624 women who were employed: 16% were self-employed, while the rest said they worked for someone else.

In general, self-employed women were more physically active: 80% said they exercised at least twice a week, compared with 72% of other women. They were also less likely to be obese (32% vs. 41%), or have high blood pressure (19% vs. 28%) or diabetes (11.5% vs. 14%).

Self-employed women were still 30% to 43% less likely to have high blood pressure or diabetes, and were 68% more likely to be exercising at least twice a week. The researchers were not able to account for household income, however, and Rodgers said she thinks that could be a key factor. When the family income is high and stable, women may be in a better place to launch their own business.

The findings do not prove that self-employment leads to better health, experts said. But they do raise the question of whether certain aspects of self-employment can do a woman’s heart good, said senior researcher Dr. Kimberly Narain, a physician with the University of California, Los Angeles Women’s Health Center.

That kind of work structure, she said, may allow women more freedom in shaping their workdays—to, for instance, fit in some exercise. And while not all women can or want to be their own boss, Narain said it may be possible for employers to apply some positive elements of self-employment to the traditional workplace. Perhaps it’s time to change the way that work works.

Women who are their own bosses may work a lot, but they also probably have more autonomy over when and where they work. “I think employers should pay attention to findings like these,” Rodgers said. “They could consider opportunities for more autonomy and flexibility in scheduling.”

Even fairly simple shifts, she added—like “walk-and-talk” meetings, instead of the traditional sit-down version—could help employees fit more exercise into the day.

Source: https://bit.ly/3Q2ouqd