"People with a wide variety of jobs manage to find ways to make them creative," said John Mirowsky, a sociology professor with the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin and lead author of the study.
Moreover, although people who work give up some independence, the study found that having a job does lead to better health.
"Creative activity is non-routine, enjoyable and provides opportunity for learning and for solving problems. People who do that kind of work, whether paid or not, feel healthier and have fewer physical problems," he said.
The study involved 2,592 adults who responded to a 1995 national telephone survey; researchers followed up respondents in 1998.
The survey addressed general health, physical functioning, how people spent their time on a daily basis and whether their work, even if unpaid, gave them a chance to learn new things or do things they enjoy.
