A new study has revealed that men who work in stressful jobs and are paid less are twice as likely to develop heart disease compared to those who experience less stress. The study, published in the journal ‘Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes’, highlighted the impact of two specific stressors at work – job strain and effort-reward imbalance – on heart disease risk.
The research, conducted by Mathilde Lavigne-Robichaud from the CHU de Quebec-University Laval Research Center in Quebec, Canada, emphasized the importance of understanding the connection between work stressors and cardiovascular health for public health and employee well-being. The study involved nearly 6,500 male workers without existing heart disease who were followed for 18 years.
The results showed that men who experienced job strain or effort-reward imbalance had a 49% higher risk of heart disease compared to those who didn’t report such stressors. Additionally, men who experienced both job strain and effort-reward imbalance had double the risk of heart disease compared to those who didn’t encounter these combined stressors.
The definition of ‘job strain’ refers to work environments where employees face high job demands coupled with low control over their work. On the other hand, ‘effort-reward imbalance’ occurs when employees exert significant effort in their work but feel that the rewards they receive are insufficient or unequal to their efforts.
The study, however, was inconclusive regarding the impact of psychosocial stress at work on women’s heart health. Lavigne-Robichaud mentioned that further investigation is needed to understand the complexity and interaction of various stressors on women’s heart health.
The findings from this study suggest that interventions targeting stress reduction in the workplace could be particularly beneficial for men. Furthermore, addressing these stress factors may also have positive implications for women, as they are associated with other prevalent health issues such as depression.
Sources:
– ‘Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes’ journal
– Mathilde Lavigne-Robichaud, CHU de Quebec-University Laval Research Center in Quebec, Canada.
