Job strain, social support in the workplace, and haemoglobin A1c in Japanese men

Abstract

Objectives-To examine the association between job strain (defined in the model of job demands and job control) and social support at the workplace with levels of glycosylated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) Methods-All male employees aged 40-60 in a manufacturing firm, Japan, were invited to take part in the study. A blood sample was taken from the participants and HbA1c (%) was measured. Job strain and social support at the workplace were assessed with the job content questionnaire (JCQ). After excluding those who had a history of diabetes mellitus or other chronic diseases, data from 268 male day workers were analyzed. Results-Age adjusted average concentrations of HbA1c were significantly higher in the highest quartile group of job strain or the lowest quartile group of social support at the workplace (p<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that job strain was significantly and positively related to HbA1c (p<0.05), whereas social support at the workplace was significantly and negatively related to HbA1c (p<0.05), both after controlling for other covariates. Conclusions-Greater job strain and lower social support at the workplace may be associated with increased concentrations of HbA1c. Increased blood glucose may be a physiological mediator between job strain or social support at the workplace and coronary heart disease. (Occup Environ Med 2000;57:805-809)

Shift work and the risk of diabetes mellitus among Japanese male factory workers

“…Therefore, health-related behavioral factors that we did not deal with, such as nutritional intake or a disturbance of biological and physiological circadian rhythm, may have been responsible for the higher risk of diabetes mellitus among two-shift workers. Moreover, since there are several studies showing that HbA1c concentration is an indicator of job strain (28)(29)(30), psychosocial stress related to shift work may have also been responsible. However, the reason for the higher risk of diabetes mellitus among only the two-shift workers (not among the three-shift workers) is not evident.…”

Influence of Overtime Work, Sleep Duration, and Perceived Job Characteristics on the Physical and Mental Status of Software Engineers

“…There are many studies showing the relationship between the job strain index and physical conditions. For example, the job strain index has been reported to have a significant association with blood pressure 10) , hemoglobin A1c 11) , and subtypes of immunocytes in male Japanese workers 27) . Compared with these studies, focused on physiological variables, there have been few studies examining the relationship between the job strain index and psychological variables in Japanese workers.…”

“…Of the lifestyle factors, short sleep duration is one of the most important problems among overloaded workers, because individuals who do not sleep well tend to have impaired work productivity and to consume more medical resources 8,9) . As for working environment, perceived job characteristics have been extensively investigated in relation to health outcomes like elevated blood pressure and hemoglobin A1c 10,11) . According to NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) occupational stress model, long-working hours, as well as lifestyle factors and working environment, were known to aggregate workers' health status 12,13) .…”

The Influence of Work Characteristics on Body Mass Index and Waist to Hip Ratio in Japanese Employees

“…With regard to job stress measured by the job demand-control model 11) , job demand was related to decreased fibrinolytic activity 12) . Job strain, combined with high demand and low control, and low social support were found to be associated with increased glycosylated haemoglobin A1c 13) . In a casecontrol study, people with acute ischemic heart disease had high job demand besides hypertension and marked Type A behavior 14) .…”