PhD defence D.J.G. (David) van de Ven

Summary:

Countries worldwide are faced with the major challenge to promote sustainable employability among vulnerable groups, such as persons with poor health, with lower socioeconomic positions, and those with unfavourable working conditions. 

To promote sustainable employability among vulnerable groups, information on the degree to which they are more likely to exit the labour market or to get precarious employment and the extent to which changes in employment status further affect health is needed. This thesis adds to the scientific literature by showing that persons with poor health were more likely to become unemployed and to get precarious employment. Those with better health were more likely to get permanent paid employment. Moreover, obtaining paid employment was detrimental to health in case of unfavourable psychosocial and physical working conditions. 

In this thesis the impact of health promotion interventions through the workplace and improvements in working conditions was also investigated. The results indicated that preventing deteriorations in working conditions and health behaviour could provide small benefits to worker’s health. Furthermore, workplace health promotion programs did not increase socioeconomic inequalities in health behaviour. Motivational interviewing increased participation in health promotion activities for workers with lower socioeconomic positions, but was – except for smoking – not effective in improving health.  
  
The research is valuable for both policy makers and practitioners because directions are provided on how to improve sustainable employability among vulnerable groups.