Job strain and occupational stress among urban public transit operators

Abstract

Job strain, characterized by an excess of workload demands over decision latitude, has been associated with worker morbidity and mortality in several epidemiological studies. One mechanism that might account for some of this association is elevated cardiovascular and catecholamine activity at work among labourers experiencing high job strain. We studied the relation between job strain and physiological and psychological stress among a sample of urban, public transit operators. Bus drivers experiencing high job strain in comparison to their co‐workers with low strain had greater workday elevations in catecholamines but not blood pressure. They also evidenced higher occupational stress as measured both by an unobtrusive behavioural index of stress while driving the bus and according to a standardized questionnaire measure of job stress. We discuss these results in light of previous research suggesting that the public transit work environment is highly stressful.