The Effect of Recent Life Events Stress, Life Assets, and Temperament Pattern on Cardiovascular Risk Factors for Akron City Police Officers

Abstract

Police officers, as a group, experience many occupational demands with physiological and psychological effects that could be harmful to their health. A primary objective of this study was to analyze specific behavioral and physiological risk factors that could lead to hypertension and accelerated coronary artery disease. Three hundred thirty-one male Akron City police officers participated in the study. A group of volunteer males (n = 48) who worked in city clerical jobs were used as controls. Questionnaires were administered in order to measure such behavioral variables as recent life change, life assets, and temperament pattern. Blood chemistry and physiological variables were also measured. The police officers had higher diastolic blood pressure (DBP), norepinephrine (NE) levels, and recent life change unit (LCU) scores than the control group. Increased hostility and depression scores were associated with higher DBP and recent LCU scores and lower life asset unit (LAU) scores. Individuals with higher "dominant" scores and moderate to high recent LCU scores had higher cardiovascular risk factors than those with moderate to high recent LCU scores who were ranked as "subordinate." Rotating shift workers had abnormally elevated NE levels, which, if not controlled, may lead to higher cardiovascular risk. Behavioral intervention programs have been introduced with the goals of reducing stress, increasing life assets, and teaching relaxation techniques.

The relationship between shift work, perceived stress, sleep and health in Swiss police officers

“…worries about the consequences of sleep loss). Addionally, studies have shown that shift workers had abnormally elevated norepinephrine levels, generally considered as a stress-marker and a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (Ely & Mostardi, 1986;Park, Ha, Yi, & Kim, 2006;Yamauchi, 2004;Yamauchi, Iwamoto, & Harada, 2001).…”

Coronary heart disease risk factors in employees of Iowa's Department of Public Safety compared to a cohort of the general population

“…Ely and Mostardi [1986] found police officers to have greater resting norepinephrine levels, diastolic blood pressure, and life-change scores than male clerical workers, which could mean a greater degree of psychosocial stress. Other personal attributes may contribute, since the Type A behavior pattern, especially the components of hostility and internally directed anger, is associated with CHD [Manuck et al, 1986].…”

Ambulatory (24 Hour) Blood Pressure Monitoring in Police Officers

“…It is well known that police officers are a working population exposed to stress; as a group they experience many occupational demands with physiological and psychological effects that could be harmful to their health. According to Ely et al, increased psychosocial stress will increase blood pressure and this comes about through sympathetic activation, which increases norepinephrine levels 20) . Sources of stress for police officers may be the relationship with the public, exposure to episodes of criminality, rotating shift work and the need to maintain high levels of services in various contexts.…”

“…Several studies in the literature have studied the relationship between noise and hypertension and reported that the effects of noise on the cardiovascular system may be caused by autonomic nervous system activation with an increase in catecholamine release [15][16][17][18][19] . Besides these, human epidemiological studies have shown that the prevalence of hypertension is strongly dependent on psycho-social stressors [20][21][22][23] . It is well known that police officers are a working population exposed to stress; as a group they experience many occupational demands with physiological and psychological effects that could be harmful to their health.…”

“…Besides these, physical agents such as noise [15][16][17][18][19] and psycho-social stressors [20][21][22][23] could alter BP values.…”