The relationship between stress and health indicators in an urban population--from a study of subjects selected by sex and age groups who underwent health check-ups in S city in Osaka Prefecture

Abstract

Many people in recent years are living under conditions involving various kinds of major and minor stress. This study was done to analyze how an urban population experience stress in daily life and to establish any relationship between the feeling of stress and people's daily habits or health conditions. The subjects were 2,234 residents, who availed themselves of general health check-ups in a city in Osaka Prefecture in 1992. The main results were as follows: 1) We designed and assessed a total stress score for causes of stress in daily life and a total depression score for the depression condition of subjects. 2) The proportion of subjects who showed a high total stress score decreased with age. The proportion of subjects who showed the highest total stress score was the largest in the age group of 40-49 years for men and of 30-39 years for women. 3) The proportion of subjects who had short working hours, much leisure time available, and low total depression score and complained much about health conditions increased with age. The proportion of subjects who had the longest working hours was the largest in the age group of 30-39, that of those who had little leisure time available and showed the highest total depression score was the largest in the age group of 40-49, and that of those who complained most about health conditions was the largest in the age group of 60-69 for men. The proportion of subjects who had the shortest sleeping hours and the longest working hours was the largest in the age group of 40-49, that of those who had little leisure time was the largest in the age group of 30-39, and that of those who showed the highest total depression score was the largest in the age group of 30-39 and 50-59 for women. 4) The total stress score showed significant relationships with the amount of leisure time available, the degree of complaints about health condition, and the total depression score for men and with sleeping hours, the amount of leisure time available, the degree of complaints about health condition and the total depression score for women. 5) The total stress score showed a significant correlation with high blood pressure for men and women. 6) The amount of leisure time available showed significant relationships with sleeping hours for men and working hours for men and women. The total depression score showed significant relationships with the degree of complaints of health condition for men and with sleeping and working hours, the amount of leisure time available and the degree of complaints of health condition for women.