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Objective The present study aims at using trajectory analysis to measure labour market attachment (LMA) over 12years and at examining whether labour market tracks relate to perceived health status.

Design Data were retrieved from a 26-year prospective cohort study, the Northern Swedish Cohort.

Setting and participants All ninth grade students (n=1083) within the municipality of Lulea in northern Sweden were included in the baseline investigation in 1981. The vast majority (94%) of the original cohort participated at the fourth follow-up. In this study, 969 participants were included.

Measures Perceived health status (psychological distress and non-optimal self-rated health) at age 42 and the data obtained from questionnaires.

Results We have identified four tracks in relation to LMA across the 12-year period: permanent', high level', strengthening' and poor level' of attachment. LMA history relates to psychological distress. High level (OR 1.55 (95% CI 1.06 to 2.27)), strengthening (OR 1.95 (95% CI 1.29 to 2.93)) and poor attachment (OR 3.14 (95% CI 2.10 to 4.70) involve higher OR for psychological distress compared with permanent attachment. The overall p value remained significant in the final model (p=0.001). Analyses regarding non-optimal self-rated health displayed a similar pattern but this was not significant in the final model.

Conclusions Our results suggest that health status in mid-life, particularly psychological distress, is related to patterns of LMA history, to a large part independently of other social risk factors and previous health. Consideration of heterogeneity and time in LMA might be important when analysing associations with perceived health.