Abstract
BackgroundPrevious studies of the relationship between job strain and blood or saliva cortisol levels have been small and based on selected occupational groups. Our aim was to examine the association between job strain and saliva cortisol levels in a population-based study in which a number of potential confounders could be adjusted for.MethodsThe material derives from a population-based study in Stockholm on mental health and its potential determinants. Two data collections were performed three years apart with more than 8500 subjects responding to a questionnaire in both waves. In this paper our analyses are based on 529 individuals who held a job, participated in both waves as well as in an interview linked to the second wave. They gave saliva samples at awakening, half an hour later, at lunchtime and before going to bed on a weekday in close connection with the interview. Job control and job demands were assessed from the questionnaire in the second wave. Mixed models were used to analyse the association between the demand control model and saliva cortisol.ResultsWomen in low strain jobs (high control and low demands) had significantly lower cortisol levels half an hour after awakening than women in high strain (low control and high demands), active (high control and high demands) or passive jobs (low control and low demands). There were no significant differences between the groups during other parts of the day and furthermore there was no difference between the job strain, active and passive groups. For men, no differences were found between demand control groups.ConclusionThis population-based study, on a relatively large sample, weakly support the hypothesis that the demand control model is associated with saliva cortisol concentrations.
Highlights
Previous studies of the relationship between job strain and blood or saliva cortisol levels have been small and based on selected occupational groups
It has been discovered that subjects with pronounced symptoms of exhaustion such as the chronic fatigue syndrome are unable to raise their cortisol level in challenging situations and they show very small circadian variation ("low flat curves") [10,11]
Interaction effect of time point*job strain on cortisol n Akaike information criteria – values (AIC)-value 1 p-value p-value
Summary
Previous studies of the relationship between job strain and blood or saliva cortisol levels have been small and based on selected occupational groups. It has been discovered that subjects with pronounced symptoms of exhaustion such as the chronic fatigue syndrome are unable to raise their cortisol level in challenging situations and they show very small circadian variation ("low flat curves") [10,11]. These physiological processes may be behind some of the contradictory findings. In the present study a representative sample of the actively working population in Stockholm was studied This means that serious depression and exhaustion making active work impossible could not disturb our findings. In the present study it was possible to explore the importance of such factors to possible relationships between the demand control model and saliva cortisol concentration medication
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