The influence of occupational stress on workers’ health: systematic review and meta-analysis

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i3.26449

Keywords:

Demand-Control Model; Obesity; Dyslipidemias; Metabolic Syndrome; Cardiovascular diseases.

Abstract

Background/objective: This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis that aims to systematize and synthesize the results of observational studies which demonstrated the occupational stress influence in workers’ health. Methods: The literature review was carried out through searches in PUBMED, WEB OF SCIENCE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, CINAHL, PSCYINFO, and LILACS databases, from July to October 2020, and updated in October 2021. Observational studies that considered occupational stress as exposure, accessed it by the Job Content Questionnaire, and evaluated its influence in workers’ health were included, regardless of their publication year. The risk of bias of the included studies was assessed through the Research Triangle Institute Item Bank on Risk of Bias and Precision of Observational Studies. Results: For the qualitative analysis, the search strategy retained 42 studies, including 182187 participants. Among retained studies, the influence of occupational stress was examined in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) (n=10), as primary outcome, and metabolic syndrome (MS) (n=5), dyslipidemias (n=15), and obesity (n=22), as additional outcomes. Systematized evidence showed that high levels of occupational stress appear to be associated with CVD and MS. However, its influence in dyslipidemias and obesity remain unclear. Meta-analyses of these clinical conditions showed significant associations between occupational stress and CVD (OR 1.34; 95%CI 1.15-1.57) and MS (OR 2.75, CI95% 1.97-3.83), but no significant effect between stress at work and dyslipidemias and obesity. Conclusions: A consistent adverse effect of occupational stress was observed on CVD and MS, considering studies with high methodological quality (low risk of bias). These findings can contribute to the development of actions to attenuate the stress at work to provide a better quality of life for workers. Other: This work received no specific grant from any funding agency and was registered on the PROSPERO platform under the CDR protocol number 102751.

References

Aboa-Éboulé, C., Brisson, C., Maunsell, E. et al. (2007). Job Strain and Risk of Acute Recurrent Coronary Heart Disease Events. JAMA, 298:14 (Reprinted). https://doi:10.1001/jama.298.14.1652

Almadi, T., Carthers, I., & Chow, CM. (2013). Associations among work-related stress, cortisol, inflammation, and metabolic syndrome. Psychophysiology, 50:821-30. https://doi:10.1111/psyp.12069

Araújo, T. M., Graça, C. C., & Araújo, E. (2003). Estresse ocupacional e saúde: contribuições do Modelo Demanda-Controle. Cien Saude Colet, 8(4):991-1003. https://doi:10.1590/S1413-81232003000400021

Armenta-Hernandez, O. D., Maldonado-Macías, A. A., Baez-Lopez, Y. A. et al. (2021). Impact of job strain and being overweight on middle and senior managers from the manufacturing sector in the Mexican industry. Work, 69(3):1027-40. https://doi:10.3233/WOR-213533

Armenta-Hernandez, O. D., Maldonado-Macías, A. A., Solís, M. O. et al. (2020). Effects of job content and physical activity on body mass index among obese managers of the Mexican manufacturing industry. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 17:3969. https://doi:10.3390/ijerph17113969

Berset, M., Semmer, N. K., Elfering, A. et al. (2011). Does stress at work make you gain weight? A two-year longitudinal study. Scand J Work Environ Health, 37(1):45-53. https://doi:10.5271/sjweh.3089

Bosma, H., Peter, R., Siegrist, J. et al. (1998). Two alternative job stress models and the risk of coronary heart disease. Am J Public Health, 88(1):68-74. https://doi:10.2105/ajph.88.1.68

Brunner, E. J., Chandola, T., & Marmot, M. G. (2007). Prospective effect of job strain on general and central obesity in the Whitehall II study. Am J Epidemiol, 165(7):828-37. https://doi:10.1093/aje/kwk058

Chandola, T., Brunner, E., Marmot, M. (2006). Chronic stress at work and the metabolic syndrome: prospective study. BMJ, 332:521. https://doi:10.1136/bmj.38693.435301.80

Chen, W. L., Wang, C. C., Chiang, S. T. et al. (2018). The impact of occupational psychological hazards and metabolic syndrome on the 8-year risk of cardiovascular diseases - a longitudinal study. PLoS ONE, 13(8):e0202977. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal

Cho, E. Y., Lee, Y. W., & Kim, H. S. (2005). The effect of job stress and lifestyle on blood lipid levels in male aircrew personnel. J Korean Acad Nurs, 35(4):672-679. https://doi:10.4040/JKAN.2005.35.4.672

Creedy, D. K., Sidebotham, M., Gamble, J. et al. (2017). Prevalence of burnout, depression, anxiety and stress in Australian midwives: a cross-sectional survey. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 17:13. https://doi:10.1186/s12884-016-1212-5

De Bacquer, D., Pelfrene, E., Clays, E. et al. (2005). Perceived job stress and incidence of coronary events: 3-year follow-up of the belgian job stress project cohort. Am J Epidemiol, 161(5):434-441. https://doi:10.1093/aje/kwi040

Deeks, J. J., Higgins, J. P. T., & Altman, D. G (editors). (2019). Analysing data and undertaking meta-analyses. In: Higgins JPT, Thomas J, Chandler J, et al., (editors). Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions version 6.0 (updated July 2019). Barcelona: Centro Cochrane Iberoamericano. Available at: www.training.cochrane.org/handbook

Duchaine, C. S., Aubé, K., Gilbert-Ouimet, M. et al. (2020). Psychosocial stressors at work and the risk of sickness absence due to a diagnosed mental disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry, 77(8):842-51. https://doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.0322

Edwards, E. M., Stuver, S. O., Heeren, T. C. et al. (2012). Job strain and incident metabolic syndrome over 5 years of follow-up. JOEM, 54:1447-52. https://doi:10.1097/JOM.0b013e3182783f27

Evolahti, A. (2012). Women, work and stress. Department of clinical neuroscience division of psychology Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Stockholm.

Filha, M. M. T. Costa, M. A. S. & Guilam, M. C. R. (2013). Estresse ocupacional e autoavaliação de saúde entre profissionais de enfermagem. Rev Latino-Am Enfermagem, 21(2): [09telas]. https://doi:10.1590/S0104-11692013000200002

Garbarino, S., & Magnavita, N. (2015). Work stress and metabolic syndrome in police officers. A prospective study. PLoS ONE, 10(12): e0144318. https://doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0144318

Gilbert-Ouimet, M., Trudel, X., Brisson, C. et al. (2014). Adverse effects of psychosocial work factors on blood pressure: systematic review of studies on demand-control-support and effort-reward imbalance models. Scand J Work Environ Health, 40(2):109-32. https://doi:10.5271/sjweh.3390

Grant, R. L. (2014). Converting an odds ratio to a range of plausible relative risks for better communication of research findings. BMJ, 348: f7450. https://doi:10.1136/bmj.f7450

Greenlund, K. J., Liu, K., Knox, S. et al. (1995). Psychosocial work characteristics and cardiovascular disease risk factors in young adults: the cardia study. Soc Sci Med, 41(5):717-723. https://doi:10.1016/0277-9536(94)00385-7

Hellerstedt, W. L., & Jeffery, RW. (1997). The association of job strain and health behaviours in men and women. Int J Epidemiol, 26(3):575-83. https://doi:10.1093/ije/26.3.575

Higgins, J. P. T, Thomas, J., Chandler, J. et al. (editors). (2021). Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions version 6.2 (updated February 2021). Cochrane. Available at: www.training.cochrane.org/handbook

Hwang, W. J. (2010). Cardiovascular disease in korean blue-collar workers: actual risk, risk perception, and risk reduction behavior. Dissertation. University of California, San Francisco.

Ishizaki, M., Nakagawa, H., Honda, R. et al. (2004). The influence of work characteristics on body mass index and waist to hip ratio in Japanese employees. Ind Health, 42(1):41-9. https://doi:10.2486/indhealth.42.41

Ishizaki, M., Nakagawa, H., Morikawa, Y. et al. (2008). Influence of job strain on changes in body mass index and waist circumference - 6-year longitudinal study. Scand J Work Environ Health, 34(4):288-96. https://doi:10.5271/sjweh.1267

Jääskeläinen, A., Kaila-Kangas, L., Leino-Arjas, P. et al. (2015). Association between occupational psychosocial factors and waist circumference is modified by diet among men. Eur J Clin Nutr, 69(9):1053-9. https://doi:10.1038/ejcn.2015.59

Juvanhol, L. L., Melo, E. C. P., Carvalho, M. S. et al. (2017). Job strain and casual blood pressure distribution: looking beyond the adjusted mean and taking gender, age, and use of antihypertensives into account. Results from ELSA-Brasil. Int J Everom Res Public Health, 14(4):451. https://doi:10.3390/ijerph14040451

Kang, M. G., Koh, S. B., Cha, B. S. et al. (2004). Association between job stress on heart rate variability and metabolic syndrome in shipyard male workers. Yonsei Med J, 45(5):838-846. https://doi:10.3349/ymj.2004.45.5.838

Kang, M. G., Koh, S. B., Cha, B. S. et al. (2005). Job stress and cardiovascular risk factors in male workers. Prev Med, 40:583-8. https://doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.07.018

Karasek, R. (1979). Job demands, job decision latitude, and mental strain: implications for job redesign. Adm Sci Quarterly, 24:285-308. https://doi:10.2307/2392498

Kawakami, N., Haratani, T., & Araki, S. (1998). Job strain and arterial blood pressure, serum cholesterol, and smoking as risk factors for coronary heart disease in Japan. Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 71:429-432. https://doi:10.1007/s004200050302

Kivimäki, M., & Kawachi I. (2015). Work stress as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Curr Cardiol Rep, 17(9):74. https://doi:10.1007/s11886-015-0630-8

Kivimäki, M., Head, J., Ferrie, J. E. et al. (2007). Hypertension is not the link between job strain and coronary heart disease in the Whitehall II study. Am J Hypertens, 20:1146-1153. https://doi:10.1016/j.amjhyper.2007.06.006

Kivimäki, M., Singh-Manoux, A., Nyberg, S. et al. (2015). Job strain and risk of obesity: systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Int J Obes (Lond). 39(11):1597-600. https://doi:10.1038/ijo.2015.103

Lallukka, T., Lahelma, E., Rahkonen, O. et al. (2008). Associations of job strain and working overtime with adverse health behaviors and obesity: evidence from the Whitehall II Study, Helsinki Health Study, and the Japanese Civil Servants Study. Soc Sci Med, 66:1681e1698. https://doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.12.027

Landsbergis, P. A., Schnall, P. L. et al. (1998). Job strain and health behaviors: results of a prospective study. Am J Health Promot, 12(4):237-245. https://doi:10.4278/0890-1171-12.4.237

Li, W., Zhang, J. Q., Sun, J. et al. (2007). Job stress related to glyco-lipid allostatic load, adiponectin and visfatin. Stress Health, 23:257-66. https://doi:10.1002/smi.1145

Magnavita, N., & Fileni, A. (2014). Work stress and metabolic syndrome in radiologists: first evidence. Radiol Med, 119(2):142-8. https://doi:10.1007/s11547-013-0329-0

Muniz, D. D., Siqueira, K. S., Cornell, C. T. et al. (2019). Ideal cardiovascular health and job strain: a cross-sectional study from the Amazon Basin. Arq Bras Cardiol, 112(3):260-268. https://doi:10.5935/abc.20190005

Netterstrom, B., Kristensen, T. S., Damsgaard, M. T. et al. (1991). Job strain and cardiovascular risk factors: a cross sectional study of employed Danish men and women. Br J of Ind Med, 48:684-689. https://doi:10.1136/oem.48.10.684

Niedhammer, I., Goldberg, M., Leclerc, A. et al. (1998). Psychosocial work environment and cardiovascular risk factors in an occupational cohort in France. J Epidemiol Community Health, 52:93-100. https://doi:10.1136/jech.52.2.93

Niskanen, R., Holstila, A., Rahkonen, O. et al. (2017). Changes in working conditions and major weight gain among normal- and overweight midlife employees. Scand J Work Environ Health, 43(6):587-94. https://doi:10.5271/sjweh.3678

Nomura, K., Nakao, M., Karita, K. et al. (2005). Association between work-related psychological stress and arterial stiffness measured by brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity in young Japanese males from an information service company. Scand J Work Environ Health, 31(5):352-9. https://doi:10.5271/sjweh.918

Ostry, A. S., Radi, S., Louie, A. M. et al. (2006). Psychosocial and other working conditions in relation to body mass index in a representative sample of Australian workers. BMC Public Health, 6:53. https://doi:10.1186/1471-2458-6-53

Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M. et al. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372(71):1-9. https://doi:10.1136/bmj.n71

Pelfrene, E., De Backer, G., Mak, R. et al. (2002). Job stress and cardiovascular risk factors Results from the BELSTRESS study. Arch Public Health, 60:245-268.

Pelfrene, E., Leynen, F., Mak, R. P. et al. (2003). Relationship of perceived job stress to total coronary risk in a cohort of working men and women in Belgium. Eur J Prev Cardiol, 10(5):345–354. https://doi:10.1097/01.hjr.0000095048.46631.f0

Peter, R., Alfredsson, L., Hammar, N. et al. (2002). Job strain, effort-reward imbalance, and coronary risk factors—complementary job stress models in risk estimation? International Congress Series, 1241:165-71.

Power, N., Deschênes, S. S., Ferri, F. et al. (2020). Job strain and the incidence of heart diseases: a prospective community study in Quebec, Canada. J Psychosom Res, 139:110268. https://doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2020.110268

Riese, H., Doornen, L. J. P. V., Houtman, I. L. D. et al. (2000). Job strain and risk indicators for cardiovascular disease in young female nurses. Health Psychol, 19(5):429-140. https://doi:I0.I037Irc2784t33.i9.5.429

Rothman, K. J., Greenland, S., & Lash, T. L. (2008). Fundamentals of epidemiologic data analysis. In: Modern Epidemiology.

Sancini, A., Ricci, S., Tomei, F, et al. (2017). Work-related stress and blood glucose levels. Ann Ig, 29(2):123-33. https://doi:10.7416/ai.2017.2139

Santos, I. E. R., Vargas, M. M., & Rei, F. P. (2014). Estressores laborais em agentes comunitários de saúde. Rev Psicol Organ Trab, 14(3):324-35.

Sara, J. D., Prasad, M., Eleid, M. F. et al. (2018) A. Association between work‐related stress and coronary heart disease: a review of prospective studies through the job strain, effort‐reward balance, and organizational justice models. J Am Heart Assoc, 7(9):1-15. https://doi:10.1161/JAHA.117.008073

Shirom, A., Melamed, S., Rogowski, O. et al. (2009). Workload, control, and social support effects on serum lipids: a longitudinal study among apparently healthy employed adults. J Occup Health Psychol, 14(4):349–364. https://doi:10.1037/a0015283

Silva, A. M. & Guimarães, L. A. M. (2016). Occupational stress and quality of life in nursing. Paidéia, 26(63):63-70. https://doi:10.1590/1982-43272663201608

Silva, J. C., Garcez, A., Cibeira, G. H. et al. (2021). Relationship of work-related stress with obesity among Brazilian female shift workers. Public Health Nutrition, https://doi:10.1017/S1368980020004243

Smith, P., Gilbert-Ouimet, M., Brisson, C. et al. (2021). Examining the relationship between the demand-control model and incident myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure in a representative sample of the employed women and men in Ontario, Canada, over a 15-year period. Can J Public Health, 112(2):280-8. https://doi:10.17269/s41997-020-00378-3

Sousa, V. F. S. & Araújo, T. C. C. F. (2015). Estresse ocupacional e resiliência entre profissionais de saúde. Psicol Cienc Prof, 35(3):900-15. https://doi:10.1590/1982-370300452014

Sui, H., Sun, N., Zhan, L. et al. (2016). Association between work-related stress and risk for type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. PLOS ONE, https://doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159978

Tonini, E., Broll, A. M., & Corrêa, E. N. (2013). Avaliação do estado nutricional e hábito alimentar de funcionários de uma instituição de ensino superior do oeste de Santa Catarina. Mundo da Saude, 37(3):268-79. https://doi:10.15343/0104-7809.2013373268279

Viswanathan, M. & Berkman, N. D. (2012). Development of the RTI item bank on risk of bias and precision of observational studies. J Clin Epidemiol, 65:163-78. https://doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2011.05.008

Wu, W. T., Tsai, S. S., Wang, C. C. et al. (2019). Professional driver’s job stress and 8-year risk of cardiovascular disease the taiwan bus driver cohort study. Epidemiology, 30:S39–S47. https://doi:10.1097/EDE.0000000000001003

Downloads

Published

19/02/2022

How to Cite

COELHO, L. G. .; COSTA, P. R. de F. .; KINRA, S. .; PITANGUEIRA, J. C. D.; LIRA, C. R. N. de; AKUTSU, R. de C. C. de A. The influence of occupational stress on workers’ health: systematic review and meta-analysis. Research, Society and Development, [S. l.], v. 11, n. 3, p. e23111326449, 2022. DOI: 10.33448/rsd-v11i3.26449. Disponível em: https://www.rsdjournal.org/index.php/rsd/article/view/26449. Acesso em: 19 apr. 2024.

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 3

Section

Review Article

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Lorene Gonçalves Coelho; Priscila Ribas de Farias Costa; Sanjay Kinra; Jacqueline Costa Dias Pitangueira; Carlos Rodrigo Nascimento de Lira; Rita de Cássia Coelho de Almeida Akutsu

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

1) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

2) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

3) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.