OBJECTIVES: Research concerning the association between stress at work and body mass index (BMI) has mainly focused on two models (ie, job demand-control and effort-reward imbalance) as predictors and mostly been cross-sectional. The aim of our study is to extend previous research in two ways. First, social stressors - in the sense of social conflict and animosities at work - were included as an independent variable, arguing that they should be an especially promising predictor as they reflect a "social-evaluative threat". Second, a longitudinal design was employed with a two-year follow-up. In addition, the variables specified by the job demand-control model and the effort-reward imbalance model were assessed as well. METHODS: Participants comprised 72 employees (52 men, 20 women) from a Swiss service provider. Multiple regression analyses were used to predict BMI two years later with social stressors, effort-reward imbalance, demands, control, and the interaction of demands and control. Baseline BMI was controlled so that the dependent variable reflects the change in BMI over two years. RESULTS: Regression analyses revealed control and social stressors to be statistically significant predictors of follow-up BMI, while effort-reward imbalance was marginally significant. CONCLUSIONS: The results underscore the importance of social stressors and job control as predictors of stress-related impaired health.
OBJECTIVES: Research concerning the association between stress at work and body mass index (BMI) has mainly focused on two models (ie, job demand-control and effort-reward imbalance) as predictors and mostly been cross-sectional. The aim of our study is to extend previous research in two ways. First, social stressors - in the sense of social conflict and animosities at work - were included as an independent variable, arguing that they should be an especially promising predictor as they reflect a "social-evaluative threat". Second, a longitudinal design was employed with a two-year follow-up. In addition, the variables specified by the job demand-control model and the effort-reward imbalance model were assessed as well. METHODS:Participants comprised 72 employees (52 men, 20 women) from a Swiss service provider. Multiple regression analyses were used to predict BMI two years later with social stressors, effort-reward imbalance, demands, control, and the interaction of demands and control. Baseline BMI was controlled so that the dependent variable reflects the change in BMI over two years. RESULTS: Regression analyses revealed control and social stressors to be statistically significant predictors of follow-up BMI, while effort-reward imbalance was marginally significant. CONCLUSIONS: The results underscore the importance of social stressors and job control as predictors of stress-related impaired health.
Authors: S T Nyberg; K Heikkilä; E I Fransson; L Alfredsson; D De Bacquer; J B Bjorner; S Bonenfant; M Borritz; H Burr; A Casini; E Clays; N Dragano; R Erbel; G A Geuskens; M Goldberg; W E Hooftman; I L Houtman; K-H Jöckel; F Kittel; A Knutsson; M Koskenvuo; C Leineweber; T Lunau; I E H Madsen; L L Magnusson Hanson; M G Marmot; M L Nielsen; M Nordin; T Oksanen; J Pentti; R Rugulies; J Siegrist; S Suominen; J Vahtera; M Virtanen; P Westerholm; H Westerlund; M Zins; J E Ferrie; T Theorell; A Steptoe; M Hamer; A Singh-Manoux; G D Batty; M Kivimäki Journal: J Intern Med Date: 2011-12-05 Impact factor: 8.989
Authors: Helle Gram Quist; Ulla Christensen; Karl Bang Christensen; Birgit Aust; Vilhelm Borg; Jakob B Bjorner Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2013-01-17 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Maria U Kottwitz; Simone Grebner; Norbert K Semmer; Franziska Tschan; Achim Elfering Journal: Ind Health Date: 2014-01-15 Impact factor: 2.179