Tensions between career and interpersonal commitments as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease among women.

For professional women, the tension between the career world and the world of interpersonal commitments to spouses, children and friends is thought to be particularly stressful, and a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The Career-Life Balance Inventory (CLBI) was created to survey a wide variety of these tensions among a group of 202 professional women. In a discriminant analysis, two scales from the CLBI (Career-Sacrifices and Interpersonal Sacrifices) appeared to play an important role in distinguishing those women experiencing serious cardiovascular disease. This model for the discrimination of cardiovascular disease was significant to the .01 level. This result suggests the need for more refined study of the tensions between career and interpersonal commitments, as these may relate to risk for cardiovascular disease.