Changes In Job Strain Research Articles

Changes in Job Strain in the US, Europe and Korea

Changes in Job Strain in the US, Europe and Korea

Increased job strain and cardiovascular disease mortality: a prospective cohort study in U.S. workers.

Job strain is considered a potential risk factor of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Our objective was to examine prospective associations of job strain with CVD mortality using data from the national, population-based Mid-life in the United States (MIDUS) cohort study, while considering changes in job strain. Job strain measure was based on Demand-Control model at Wave 1 in 1995-1996 and Wave 2 in 2004-2006, and CVD mortality data through 2018 were retrieved through linkage to the National Death Index (NDI). Cox proportional hazards regression was applied to assess prospective associations between job strain across MIDUS I and MIDUS II and CVD mortality at follow-up in 1,870 workers free from CVD at MIDUS I. After adjustment for relevant covariates, single measurement of job strain at MIDUS I or MIDUS II, and two measurements of job strain between the two waves were not significantly associated with CVD mortality, while the increase in scores between the two waves (increase vs. no increase) demonstrated stronger prospective associations with CVD mortality (HR and 95% CI = 2.37 [0.88, 6.42]). Our findings suggest increased job strain may pose a stronger risk to CVD mortality than single exposure measurement.

1067Annual changes in job strain and risk of coronary heart disease in Denmark

Abstract Background We examined the association between annual changes in job strain and incident coronary heart disease (CHD) in a population-based cohort study in Denmark. Methods We studied all workers residing in Denmark in 2000, aged 30-59 years with no prevalent CHD (N = 1,660,150). Using a job exposure matrix (JEM) with annual updates, we assessed changes in job strain from 2000-2009. Incident CHD was identified in hospital and death registers from 2001 to 2010. Using Cox regression, we calculated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between annual changes in job strain and incident CHD. Results During 16.1 million person-years (mean time of follow-up: 9.7 years), we identified 24,159 CHD cases (15.0 per 10,000 person-years). Compared to persistent no job strain, persistent job strain (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.03–1.10), onset of job strain (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.12–1.29) and removal of job strain (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.12–1.28) were associated with higher CHD incidence. Conclusions Persistent and onset of job strain was associated with a higher risk of CHD. Removal of job strain was also associated with a higher risk, which might be due to health selection. Our results suggest that job strain contributes to risk of CHD in the Danish workforce. Key messages Implementing JEM in a population-based cohort of more than 1.6 million workers enabled us to demonstrate associations between annual changes in job strain and risk of incident CHD.

Persistent and changing job strain and risk of coronary heart disease. A population-based cohort study of 1.6 million employees in Denmark.

Objectives:This study aimed to examine the association between job strain and incident coronary heart disease (CHD) in Denmark, while accounting for changes of job strain.Methods:We included all employees residing in Denmark in 2000, aged 30–59 years with no prevalent CHD (N=1 660 150). We determined exposure to job strain from 1996–2009 using a job exposure matrix (JEM) with annual updates. Follow-up for incident CHD was from 2001–2010 via linkage to health records. We used Cox regression to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between job strain and incident CHD.Results:During 16.1 million person-years, we identified 24 159 incident CHD cases (15.0 per 10 000 person-years). After adjustment for covariates, job strain in 2000 predicted onset of CHD during a mean follow-up of 9.71 years (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.07–1.13). When analyzing changes in job strain from one year to the next and CHD in the subsequent year, persistent job strain (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.03–1.10), onset of job strain (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.12–1.29) and removal of strain (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.12–1.28) were associated with higher CHD incidence compared to persistent no job strain. Associations were similar among men and women.Conclusions:Job strain is associated with a higher risk of incident CHD in Denmark. As we used a JEM, we can rule out reporting bias. However, under- or overestimation of associations is possible due to non-differential misclassification of job strain and residual confounding by socioeconomic position.

Multicohort study of change in job strain, poor mental health and incident cardiometabolic disease

ObjectivesSeveral recent large-scale studies have indicated a prospective association between job strain and coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Job strain is also associated with poorer mental health, a risk...

Against all odds - is a more differentiated view of personality development in emerging adulthood needed? The case of young apprentices.

Personality development in emerging adults who do not attend college after high school has been largely overlooked so far. In this study, we investigated personality development in emerging German adults (NT 1 =1,886, MageT1 =18.01years, 29% female) undergoing vocational education and training (VET). The trainees were assessed at the start of VET, 1.5years later, and another 1.5years after that, just before graduation. Longitudinal latent change score analyses were applied. Bivariate analyses investigated life satisfaction and job strain as social and work-related aspects that are potentially reciprocally related to personality development. Mean-level personality changes included increases in neuroticism and decreases in agreeableness and conscientiousness in the first interval. In the second interval, neuroticism decreased and conscientiousness increased. Simultaneously, trainees reported a gradual decrease in extraversion and openness across the 3-year time span. Personality, especially agreeableness and conscientiousness, emerged as a stronger predictor of changes in job strain and life satisfaction than vice versa. For example, more agreeable and more conscientious trainees subsequently showed increases in life satisfaction. Trainees reporting higher job strain subsequently showed decreases in agreeableness. Trajectories of personality development partly support the maturity principle that has been established in many college student samples.

Changes in job strain and subsequent weight gain: a longitudinal study, based on the Danish Nurse Cohort.

Obesity as well as job strain is increasing, and job strain might contribute to weight gain. The objective of the current study was to examine associations between longitudinal alterations in the components of job strain and subsequent weight gain. The study was designed as a prospective cohort study with three questionnaire surveys enabling measurement of job-strain alterations over 6 years and subsequent measurements of weight gain after further 10 years of follow-up. ANCOVA and trend analyses were conducted. Job demands were measured as job busyness and speed, and control as amount of influence. Employed nurses in Denmark. We included a sub-sample of 6188 female nurses from the Danish Nurse Cohort, which consisted of the nurses who participated in surveys in 1993, 1999 and 2009. A linear trend in weight gain was seen in nurses who were often busy in 1999 between those who were rarely v. sometimes v. often busy in 1993 (P=0·03), with the largest weight gain in individuals with sustained high busyness in both years. Loss of influence between 1993 and 1999 was associated with larger subsequent weight gain than sustained high influence (P=0·003) or sustained low influence (P=0·02). For speed, no associations were found. Busyness, speed and influence differed in their relationship to subsequent weight gain. A decrease in job influence and a sustained burden of busyness were most strongly related to subsequent weight gain. Focus on job strain reduction and healthy diet is essential for public health.

Changes in working conditions and major weight gain among normal- and overweight midlife employees.

Objectives We aimed to examine the association between changes in psychosocial working conditions and major weight gain among midlife women and men. Furthermore, we examined the associations separately among normal- and overweight participants. Methods We used survey data among employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland, from 2000-2002 (phase 1, N=8960), 2007 (phase 2, N=7332), and 2012 (phase 3, N=6814), with a final study sample of 4369 participants. We examined changes in job strain, job demands, and job control from phase 1 to 2. We defined major weight gain as ≥10% weight gain between phases 1 and 3 based on self-reported weight (kg). We performed logistic regression analysis adjusting for baseline age, marital status, and occupational class, stratifying by gender and by baseline body mass index. Results Job demands among both genders and job strain among women was associated with major weight gain. Furthermore, increased job demands [odds ratio (OR) 1.52, 95% CI 1.05-2.20] or increased job strain (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.11-2.11) was associated with major weight gain among overweight women. Normal-weight men reporting decreased job demands (OR 4.11, 95% CI 1.48-11.40) and overweight men reporting increasing job demands (OR 2.93, 95% CI 1.26-6.82) exhibited higher odds of major weight gain. Conclusions Associations between working conditions and weight gain appeared primarily weak. Our study suggests that overweight individuals might be at a higher risk of weight gain when facing psychosocial strain in the workplace.

Change in Job Strain as a Predictor of Change in Insomnia Symptoms: Analyzing Observational Data as a Non-randomized Pseudo-Trial.

Study objectives:To examine whether change in job strain leads to change in insomnia symptoms.Methods:Among 24873 adults (82% women, mean age 44 years) who participated in a minimum of three consecutive study waves (2000–2012), job strain was assessed at the first and second wave and insomnia symptoms at all three waves. We analyzed observational data as a “pseudo-trial” including participants with no job strain in the first wave and no insomnia symptoms in the first and second wave (n = 7354) to examine whether the onset of job strain between the first and second waves predicted the onset of insomnia symptoms in the third wave. We used a corresponding approach, including those with job strain in the first wave and insomnia symptoms in the first and second wave (n = 2332), to examine whether the disappearance of job strain between the first two waves predicted remission of insomnia symptoms in the third wave.Results:The onset of job strain predicted the onset of subsequent insomnia symptoms after adjustment for sex, age, marital status, education, smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption, body mass index, and comorbidities (odds ratio compared to no onset of job strain 1.32, 95% CI 1.16–1.51). The disappearance of job strain was associated with lower odds of repeated insomnia symptoms (odds ratio compared to no disappearance of job strain 0.78, 95% CI 0.65–0.94). Further adjustment for shift work or sleep apnea did not change these associations.Conclusions:These results suggest that job strain is a modifiable risk factor for insomnia symptoms.

Shift work, job strain and changes in the body mass index among women: a prospective study

ObjectivesThe effects of job strain and shift work on weight gain have not been studied jointly. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies on shift work and weight gain have reported different results....

Evolution of psychosocial factors at work in a French region.

Psychosocial factors at work (PFW) can be defined as all non-physicochemical occupational risks. Several epidemiological models have been proposed to measure PFW, but one of the most widely used is Karasek's model. To determine whether psychosocial factors, evaluated by Karasek's questionnaire, had increased in a cohort of workers. A random sample of workers in the Pays de la Loire region of France, who could be considered representative of the region's population of salaried workers, filled in a self-administered questionnaire, including Karasek's self-administered questionnaire, in 2002-05 and 2007-09. Karasek's questionnaire can be used to study three psychosocial dimensions (psychological demand, decision latitude and social support in the workplace) in workers in order to define two high-risk situations for their health: 'Job Strain' and 'Iso Strain'. Changes in job strain and iso strain among workers were studied according to the workers' sociodemographic characteristics and their working conditions. In this sample of 2049 workers, the proportion with iso strain increased between the two periods from 12 to 16%, P < 0.001, mainly among manual workers. Deterioration of Karasek indicators was mainly explained by an increase of the 'low social support' dimension (38 versus 49%, P < 0.001). Working conditions such as temporary employment of colleagues and high perceived physical exertion were associated with higher PFW. This study, based on a quantitative and collective model, showed deterioration of working team environments and increased risk for individual mental health in this cohort of French workers in recent years.

Job strain and changes in the body mass index among working women: a prospective study.

ObjectivesThe relationship between job strain and weight gain has been unclear, especially for women. Using data from over 52 000 working women, we compare the association between change in job strain and change in BMI across different levels of baseline BMI.Subjects/MethodsWe used data from participants in the Nurses’ Health Study II (n=52 656, mean age = 38.4), an ongoing prospective cohort study. Using linear regression, we modeled the change in BMI over 4 years as a function of the change in job strain, baseline BMI, and the interaction between the two. Change in job strain was characterized in four categories combining baseline and follow-up levels: consistently low strain [low at both points], decreased strain [high strain at baseline only], increased strain [high strain at follow-up only], and consistently high strain [high at both points]. Age, race/ethnicity, pregnancy history, job types, and health behaviors at baseline were controlled for in the model.ResultsIn adjusted models, women who reported high job strain at least once during the four-year period had a greater increase in BMI (ΔBMI=0.06–0.12, p<0.05) than those who never reported high job strain. The association between the change in job strain exposure and the change in BMI depended on the baseline BMI level (p=0.015 for the interaction): the greater the baseline BMI, the greater the BMI gain associated with consistently high job strain. The BMI gain associated with increased or decreased job strain was uniform across the range of baseline BMI.ConclusionsWomen with higher BMI may be more vulnerable to BMI gain when exposed to constant work stress. Future research focusing on mediating mechanisms between job strain and BMI change should explore the possibility of differential responses to job strain by initial BMI.

The Effect of Job Strain on Psychological Morbidity and Quality of Life in Military Hospital Nurses in Taiwan: A Follow-up Study

This study investigated changes in job strain in female nurses serving in a military hospital system being restructured and the effect of these changes on psychological morbidity and quality of life (QOL). Questionnaire surveys were sent twice to 618 nurses working in three military hospitals in southern Taiwan at the beginning and at follow up a half year later. A Job Content Questionnaire was used to divide subjects into high and low strain groups. The General Health Questionnaire and the WHO QOL Questionnaire were used to assess psychological morbidity and QOL. Four hundred eighteen nurses completed the study. Initially, the high strain group had a greater prevalence of psychological morbidity and lower QOL than the low strain group. At follow up, high strain group did not have a greater prevalence of psychological morbidity, though significant differences in QOL remained. Job control and social support directly affected the QOL (B=0.42, p<0.001; B=0.41, p=0.038, respectively) and the psychological demand affected directly on psychological morbidity (B=0.12, p<0.001). Job control and psychological demand are different aspects in job strain to impact the psychological morbidity and QOL in nurses working in military hospitals in Taiwan.

The Impact of Changes in Job Strain and Its Components on the Risk of Depression

We assessed the impact of changes in dimensions of the psychosocial work environment on risk of depression in a longitudinal cohort of Canadian workers who were free of depression when work conditions were initially reported. Using a sample (n = 3735) from the Canadian National Population Health Survey, we examined the effects of changes in job control, psychological demands, and social support over a 2-year period on subsequent depression. We adjusted models for a number of covariates, including personal history of depression. Respondents with increased psychological demands were more likely to have depression over the following 2 years (odds ratio = 2.36; 95% confidence interval = 1.14, 4.88). This risk remained statistically significant after adjustment for age, gender, marital status, presence of children, level of education, chronic health conditions, subclinical depression when work conditions were initially assessed, family history of depression, and personal history of depression. These results demonstrate that changes in psychological demands have a stronger influence than changes in job control on the onset of depression, highlighting the importance of not assuming an interaction between these 2 components of job strain when assessing health outcomes.

"Change in job strain and progression of atherosclerosis: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study": Correction to Rosenström et al. (2011).

"Change in job strain and progression of atherosclerosis: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study": Correction to Rosenström et al. (2011).

Change in job strain and progression of atherosclerosis: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study.

Evidence of the association between job strain, that is, a combination of high psychological demands and low job control, and markers of atherosclerosis is mixed, but few studies with repeat measures are available. The purpose of this study was to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between job strain and atherosclerosis. The participants were 335 men and 374 women from the prospective Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study (mean age 38.5 years). Two sequential measurements of job strain and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) were analyzed. No cross-sectional or longitudinal association between job strain and IMT was observed in women. In men, a cross-sectional association was found in 2001, but not in 2007. No dose-response effect was visible, nor a simple association between progression of job strain and progression of IMT. Instead, a more complex pattern of correlation was found in men with large decreases in job strain being associated with slower progression of IMT and combined decreases in job control and demands (a change toward passive jobs) being associated with greater IMT progression. These data suggest that temporal changes in job demands and control are associated with IMT in men via multiple mechanisms.

RE: "CHANGES IN PERCEIVED JOB STRAIN AND THE RISK OF MAJOR DEPRESSION: RESULTS FROM A POPULATION-BASED LONGITUDINAL STUDY"

Major depression is a prevalent mental disorder in the working population. Improving the work environment may reduce the risk of major depression. The authors examined data from the longitudinal cohort of the Canadian National Population Health Survey from 1994–1995 to 2004–2005. Survey participants were classified into 4 groups by changes in job strain status from 1994–1995 to 2000–2001 (no change in low job strain, no change in high job strain, changing from high to low job strain, and changing from low to high job strain). The incidence proportion of major depressive episodes in each of the 4 groups was 4.0%, 8.0%, 4.4%, and 6.9%, respectively. Participants who reported a change from high to low job strain had a risk of major depression similar to those exposed to persistently low job strain. Among those exposed to persistent high job strain, only participants who reported good or excellent health at baseline had a higher risk of major depression, but those who reported fair or poor health did not. Reducing job strain may have positive impacts on the risk of depression. Self-rated health is a strong predictor of depression and plays an important role in the relation between job strain and depression. Canada; cohort studies; depression; occupational health; population; socioeconomic factors; workplace

Changes in Perceived Job Strain and the Risk of Major Depression: Results From a Population-based Longitudinal Study

Major depression is a prevalent mental disorder in the working population. Improving the work environment may reduce the risk of major depression. The authors examined data from the longitudinal cohort of the Canadian National Population Health Survey from 1994-1995 to 2004-2005. Survey participants were classified into 4 groups by changes in job strain status from 1994-1995 to 2000-2001 (no change in low job strain, no change in high job strain, changing from high to low job strain, and changing from low to high job strain). The incidence proportion of major depressive episodes in each of the 4 groups was 4.0%, 8.0%, 4.4%, and 6.9%, respectively. Participants who reported a change from high to low job strain had a risk of major depression similar to those exposed to persistently low job strain. Among those exposed to persistent high job strain, only participants who reported good or excellent health at baseline had a higher risk of major depression, but those who reported fair or poor health did not. Reducing job strain may have positive impacts on the risk of depression. Self-rated health is a strong predictor of depression and plays an important role in the relation between job strain and depression.

Increases in job strain are associated with incident hypertension in the CARDIA Study.

Job strain, defined as high job demands and low decision latitude, has been associated with increased blood pressure levels in some studies, but most of these studies have been cross-sectional. We sought to determine whether changes in job strain during young adulthood were associated with the development of hypertension, using the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults cohort. A total of 3,200 employed, initially normotensive participants, aged 20 to 32 in 1987-1988, were followed for 8 years; the Job Content Questionnaire was completed twice: initially and 8 years later. Hypertension at follow-up was defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 160 or higher and diastolic blood pressure of 95 mmHg or higher, or reporting being on antihypertensive medication. Job strain (based on job demands above the median and decision latitude below the median of the sample) was associated with hypertension incidence (ps <.05) for the entire cohort and among White women and men. Adjustment for baseline SBP, education, body mass index (BMI), change in BMI, and age did not alter these relations. The ratio of increasing demands relative to decreasing decision latitude was also associated with greater incidence of hypertension in the entire cohort in the multivariate model (odds ratio = 2.06, 95% confidence interval = 1.01-4.26). An increase in job strain is associated with incident hypertension, particularly among Whites.

Slow-reacting immunoglobulin in relation to social support and changes in job strain: a preliminary note.

Fifty working subjects in the ages 25 to 60 were asked to rate the amount of job strain (demands divided by decision latitude) that they experienced on four occasions at intervals of three to four months. Blood samples were taken for the analysis of immunoglobulin G before work started on these work days. After the end of the studied year each subject was asked to rate the total amount of social support that he/she had experienced. Both availability and adequacy of support were rated. The reported degree of job strain was unrelated to season and number of order of observation. Immunoglobulin G was observed to rise progressively with rising job strain. The reported adequacy of social support was negatively associated with immunoglobulin G--the more adequate the support was reported to be, the lower the immunoglobulin G level. This association was stronger at peak levels of job strain and became weak and nonsignificant at low levels of job strain. Thus, when job strain increased immunoglobulin G increased mainly among those with poor adequacy of social support.