Psychosocial working conditions and chronic low-grade inflammation in geriatric care professionals: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Chronic low-grade inflammation has been suggested as a key factor in the association between stress exposure and long-term health. Care work is recognized as a profession with a high degree of job stress and health risks. However, for care professionals, the study base on inflammatory activity due to adverse working conditions is limited. Objective The aim of this study was to explore associations between self-reported psychosocial working conditions and care professionals’ biomarkers of systemic low-grade inflammation. Methods N = 140 geriatric care professionals (79.3% females, mean age = 44.1 years) of six care facilities were enrolled in a cross-sectional study consisting of standardized medical examinations and employee surveys. Standardized questionnaires were used for evaluation of psychosocial work characteristics (work overload, job autonomy, social support) based on Karasek’s job strain model. Blood samples were drawn for two biomarkers of inflammatory activity: C-reactive protein (CRP) and leukocyte count. Analyses comprised uni- and multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses. Results We determined a proportion of 5.4% of care professionals with increased low-grade inflammation. We further observed a relationship between job autonomy and CRP, such that reports of high job autonomy were associated with increased levels of CRP (adjusted OR = 4.10, 95% CI [1.10, 15.26], p = .035), which was robust in additional analyses on further potential confounders. No significant associations with participants’ leukocyte numbers were found. Conclusions This exploratory study contributes to the research base on links between workplace stress and ensuing illness in care professionals. Our findings may help to identify risk and protective factors of the work environment for chronic low-grade inflammation. The results require further scrutiny, and future prospective studies on associations of psychosocial working conditions, low-grade inflammation and long-term health outcomes in care professionals are needed.

Associations of technostressors at work with burnout symptoms and chronic low-grade inflammation: a cross-sectional analysis in hospital employees

“…In hospital employees, respective investigations are sparse. One recent study surprisingly found a positive relationship of job autonomy and CRP among geriatric care professionals, perhaps due to greater responsibilities and experiences of excessive demands (Kaltenegger et al 2022 ).…”

“…Especially in healthcare, there have been fundamental advancements in terms of health information technology (e.g., electronic health records, computerized decision support systems; Abbott and Weinger 2020 ). At the same time, healthcare professionals are already exposed to a high degree of work stress putting them at an increased risk for adverse health outcomes (Dawe et al 2016 ; Adriaenssens et al 2015 ; Kaltenegger et al 2022 ).…”

Stress, inflammation and coping strategies — association with rheumatological pathology

“…К основным технострессорам относятся техно-и информационная перегрузка [38,[40][41][42], техническая сложность процесса, нарушения в работе информационно-коммуникационных технологий [41], многозадачность, неудобство использования техники в целом и отсутствие своевременной технической поддержки [43]. Медицинские работники подвергаются высокому стрессу на работе, что способствует повышенному риску развития неблагоприятных последствий для здоровья [44][45][46].…”