A study of job stress among women and men in the Federal Republic of Germany

Abstract

A study was designed to test the association between job demands and job decision latitude and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk and psychological strain among working men and women in the FRG. The data are from the 1984 FRG national health survey. The sample used for this research was composed of 795 persons: 476 working men and 319 working women. Following the work of Karasek, the results indicate that psychological strain was related to high job demands and low job decision latitude. However, an association between CHD risk and high job demands and low job decision latitude was not supported by the findings. Correlational analyses revealed moderate correlations between psychological strain and CHD risk. Multiple regression analyses indicated that low decision latitude may be a stressor that grows more severe in the presence of high job demands in terms of negative health outcomes. Significant differences between men and women were also found.