What Is Classed as ‘Long Working Hours’?
Government directives recommend a maximum duration of 48 hours in a working week. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) states that the global average time spent at work is 33 hours per week.
How Did They Find These Results?
New research has been published by medical research specialist Antibodies.com which compares average life expectancy against lifestyle and health trends. The interactive guide they have created reveals the average life expectancies and lifestyle habits of the healthiest and unhealthiest nations. Figures from comprehensive annual reports are measured against current health guidelines and global averages to see how each country measures up.
This research has revealed that every hour spent at work per week above the recommended 48 hours shaves 2.25 years off your life. Furthermore, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) data, countries with a high life expectancy of between 82.2 and 84.2 years work an average of 40.7 hours per week, compared with the average 42.6 hours worked by countries with lifespans between 52.9 and 59.8.
Of countries with the lowest life expectancies, the Central African Republic has the highest number of weekly working hours at 52, which is four hours above the maximum recommended amount. This is accompanied by a life expectancy of just 53 years. In comparison, France has the lowest number of working hours with just 35 per week, and boasts a long lifespan of 82.9 years.
What Else Did They Find?
Of course, working hours is not the only factor which influences lifespan. They also looked into average meat consumption, vaccination rates and BMI of the relevant populations, amongst a number of other factors.
Interestingly, although Lesotho has one of the highest child vaccination rates at 93%, it has the shortest life expectancy due to such high incidences of lethal diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis. Australia on the other hand has the highest prevalence of drug disorders and rate of meat consumption, yet has the fourth longest life expectancy.
To see the results of Antibodies.com’s Lifestyle vs Lifespan study, visit https://www.antibodies.com/lifestyle-vs-lifespan/.
What Should Be Done?
It should be taken into account that working hours affect a person’s lifespan, alongside other more well-known factors such as smoking and obesity.
Employers should be careful when allocating working hours, and employees should be aware of how many hours they are clocking-up over the course of the week.
