Title
Job strain in relation to ambulatory blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability among female nurses
Author
TNO Preventie en Gezondheid
Riese, H.
van Doornen, L.J.P.
Houtman, I.L.D.
de Geus, E.J.C.
Publication year
2004
Abstract
Objective. This study examined the effects of exposure to job strain on independent predictors of cardiovascular disease (ambulatory blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability). Methods. The participants comprised a homogeneous group of 159 healthy female nurses [mean age 35.9 (SD 8.5) years]. The choice of this population minimized variance attributable to gender, socioeconomic status, and work characteristics. Job demands, decision latitude, and social support were measured with the Karasek job content questionnaire, which was administered twice with an average interval of 12.2 months. The nurses' scores for job demands and decision latitude on both occasions were used to define their job-strain category. Ambulatory blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability were assessed on a workday and a day of leisure. Results. No effect on the ambulatory levels of blood pressure, heart rate, or heart rate variability was found for job strain by itself or in interaction with social support. In addition, job strain was not associated with differences in short-term or long-term physiological recovery during sleep after a workday or a day of leisure. High job demand was associated with higher systolic blood pressure at work and with higher diastolic blood pressure at work, but the latter association was found only when decision latitude was concurrently high, rather than low. Conclusions. High job strain among young female nurses is not associated with an unfavorable ambulatory cardiovascular profile. The robust effect of job strain on male health appears to be less apparent for women. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Subject
Veilig en Gezond Werken
Vrouwenarbeid
Fysieke arbeidsbelasting
Verpleegkundigen
Psychische arbeidsbelasting
Vrouwen
Hart en vaatziekten
Mannelijke arbeidskrachten
Arbeid door mannen
Decision latitude
Job demand
Real life
Risk factor, cardiovascular
Support, social
Women
Work stress
Cardiovascular disease
Working conditions
Cardiovascular risk
Decision making
Diastolic blood pressure
Heart rate variability
Leisure
Occupational hazard
Population research
Prediction
Questionnaire
Sex difference
Sleep
Social status
Systolic blood pressure
Work environment
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Blood Pressure
Cardiovascular Diseases
Female
Heart Rate
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Middle Aged
Multivariate Analysis
Netherlands
Nurses
Occupational Exposure
Regression Analysis
Risk Factors
Social Support
Stress, Psychological
Workload
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http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:a5ec0c36-1e7b-4aff-9419-17c382c87fdd
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.837
TNO identifier
238190
ISSN
0355-3140
Source
Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, 30 (30), 477-485
Document type
article