A study shows that black women who are employed outside the home are a third less likely to develop heart disease than black housewives.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina are surveying the heart health and risk factors of a group of 6,855 women in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. They found that 26 per cent were homemakers, while the rest were employed outside the home.

African-American women who were employed were two times less likely to have a coronary event than those who were homemakers. Even when other risk factors were taken into account, the reduced risk remained at about a third. There was no such link found for white women.

The results are intriguing. Little is known of the impact of outside work on women's health. But from what we know of male risk of cardiovascular disease, stress at work seems to be an important factor. It may be that for black women, employment gives economic benefits and status that have a positive, rather than negative, effect on health.

Source

American Heart Association Annual Conference 6th March 2003