Work, habits and health

Researchers in Epidemiology and Public Health have received $1.7 million from the National Institute on Aging to study the interplay of work-life, health habits and health over a lifetime. For the study, “Work-life, Health Habits and Health: Longitudinal Analysis of Aging,” researchers will build a life cycle model, covering adolescence to late life, that evaluates occupation, smoking and drinking and obesity.

The study began in March and will continue through February 2010. Jody L. Sindelar, Ph.D., professor of public health, is the principal investigator. “Since much of life is spent working, characteristics of work are potentially important risk factors and can be viewed in the same vein as health habits,” she said.