Stress and Health Status in Male Attorneys

Abstract

Male attorneys (n=33) ages 35‐65 participated in a health assessment. Participants living in a small southern community were recruited from a mailing list (N=173) and completed a short medical health survey and a fasting blood draw. Individuals reported perceived personal and professional stress on a Likert scale from 1‐10 (one being low stress and 10 high stress). Body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose, insulin, and triglyceride levels were used to determine health risk. Mean BMI was 26.54±4.42 kg/m2, fasting glucose was 95.13±10.17 mg/dl, insulin was 6.76±7.43 uIU/mL, and triglycerides was 108.71 ± 48.89 mg/dl. About half (46%) of participants had a healthy BMI (18.5‐24.9). Fifteen percent of participants had a history of depression. Participants perceived a healthy weight to be on average 6.36 kg less than their actual body weight (p<0.05). The mean professional stress was 6.97±1.76 and the mean personal stress was 5.58±2.25. While not significant, it appeared that personal stress negatively impacted sleep patterns. Lifestyle choices, including diet and exercise, among individuals in perceived high stress professions may play a role in long term health status. This study indicated that work load and perceived stress may affect sleep patterns.