By Lee Ji-hye
Many people in their 20s and 30s are on the prowl for whatever jobs they can get their hands on as soon as they finish college.
But find employment may not be great for your health, at least not at first.
According to a survey by the National Health Insurance Corporation (NHIC), first-year employees between the ages of 24 and 34 spent an average amount of 290,000 won at a hospital over the past year. This is some 10 percent higher than the average amount, 262,000 won.
Of the 77,241 people surveyed, 77 percent visited a hospital in the year prior to securing a job; 82 percent went during their first year on the job.
The top three medical conditions the people surveyed faced were acute bronchitis, tonsillitis, and acute upper respiratory infection.
Workers also had conditions such as stomachaches, diarrhea, gastritis, duodenitis inflammation.
Choo Jung-eun, a family physician at Ilsan Hospital said, “Workers are burdened all of a sudden with a work load and stress, which is usually reflected by stomach problems. In the process of adjusting to the new environment, they become less resistant to disease.”
He said that frequent company outings and heavy drinking could trigger problems for digestion.
“Not only are they busy with work, but drinking alcohol, overeating, and smoking could be an influential factor in triggering gastritis,” Choo said.