A study into careers and hearth health ended in 2021 and was conducted in partnership between the University of Bristol, Cambridge, and the University College London’s Social Research Institute, and followed 12,000 British citizens over multiple decades. According to the data, people with more education who earned managerial positions in their early jobs had healthier hearts than those who did not. The study focused on people who were between 16 and 24 at the beginning of the study, and their entry into the professional jobs compared to those who entered “partially skilled” jobs. Those who went into a profession (such as teacher, nurse, scientist, or lawyer) had better heart health at 46 years old compared to those who took jobs like being a waiter, retailer, or farmhand. The author of the study, Eleanor Winpenny, hypothesized that it was because of the habits that they formed when they were young adults. The study also found that this phase of life had a significantly greater effect than factors like current job or the participant’s current income.
To improve heart health, employers need to be more active in supporting young adults, something that more companies are doing to attract a younger talent pool. Some are even offering to pay for continuing education, including getting an associate, undergraduate, or graduate degree. Large companies like Starbucks and Walmart are currently offering this debt-free education approach to draw in younger people to work for them. The more people who establish better habits when they are young, the longer they will live.
For a deeper look at how first jobs have such a long-term impact on one of our most vital organs, you can read the full article at Your First Job Could Significantly Impact Your Heart’s Health Later in Life, a New Study Suggests.