Kumi Hirokawa1,2, Tetsuya Ohira3,4, Masanori Nagao5, Mako Nagayoshi6, Mitsugu Kajiura7, Hironori Imano8, Akihiko Kitamura7, Masahiko Kiyama7, Takeo Okada7, Hiroyasu Iso8. 1. Department of Nursing, Baika Women's University, 2-19-5 Shukunosho, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-8578, Japan. k-hirokawa@baika.ac.jp. 2. Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan. k-hirokawa@baika.ac.jp. 3. Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan. teoohira@fmu.ac.jp. 4. Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikariga-oka, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan. teoohira@fmu.ac.jp. 5. Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey Office of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikariga-oka, Fukushima City Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan. 6. Department of Preventive Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan. 7. Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, 1-3-3 Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka, 537-8511, Japan. 8. Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated associations between occupation, job stress, and salivary cortisol levels after psychological tasks. METHODS: We examined 766 (273 men and 493 women) healthy employed Japanese participants aged 21 to 68 years (mean age = 46.4 years, standard deviation = 8.5) with three types of occupation: manager, teacher, and general worker. The Brief Job Stress Questionnaire was used to evaluate participants' job stress levels, including job demand, job control, support from supervisors, and support from coworkers. Salivary cortisol levels were measured at pre-session, post-stressful tasks, and post-relaxation. All samples were assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test. Natural log transformation was applied before statistical analyses. A multiple regression analysis and a repeated measures analysis of covariance were conducted to test associations between occupation and salivary cortisol levels, adjusting for confounding factors. Statistical analyses were conducted separately for men and women. RESULTS: Among both men and women, general workers had higher cortisol levels than managers throughout the experimental session (men 0.6 μg/dL and 0.4 μg/dL, respectively; women 0.5 μg/dL and 0.4 μg/dL, respectively). Job control was positively associated with cortisol levels measured in all sessions, after adjusting for confounding factors (standardized beta 0.15, 0.21, and 0.18 for pre-session, post-stressful-tasks, and post-relaxation, respectively, all p < 0.05). Men with low support from coworkers had higher cortisol levels than those with high support through the sessions (0.6 μg/dL and 0.4 μg/dL, respectively). CONCLUSION: Socioeconomic disparity according to occupational status was related to cortisol levels in Japanese workers. Support from coworkers may be effective for reducing cortisol secretion in men.
OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated associations between occupation, job stress, and salivary cortisol levels after psychological tasks. METHODS: We examined 766 (273 men and 493 women) healthy employed Japanese participants aged 21 to 68 years (mean age = 46.4 years, standard deviation = 8.5) with three types of occupation: manager, teacher, and general worker. The Brief Job Stress Questionnaire was used to evaluate participants' job stress levels, including job demand, job control, support from supervisors, and support from coworkers. Salivary cortisol levels were measured at pre-session, post-stressful tasks, and post-relaxation. All samples were assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test. Natural log transformation was applied before statistical analyses. A multiple regression analysis and a repeated measures analysis of covariance were conducted to test associations between occupation and salivary cortisol levels, adjusting for confounding factors. Statistical analyses were conducted separately for men and women. RESULTS: Among both men and women, general workers had higher cortisol levels than managers throughout the experimental session (men 0.6 μg/dL and 0.4 μg/dL, respectively; women 0.5 μg/dL and 0.4 μg/dL, respectively). Job control was positively associated with cortisol levels measured in all sessions, after adjusting for confounding factors (standardized beta 0.15, 0.21, and 0.18 for pre-session, post-stressful-tasks, and post-relaxation, respectively, all p < 0.05). Men with low support from coworkers had higher cortisol levels than those with high support through the sessions (0.6 μg/dL and 0.4 μg/dL, respectively). CONCLUSION: Socioeconomic disparity according to occupational status was related to cortisol levels in Japanese workers. Support from coworkers may be effective for reducing cortisol secretion in men.
Authors: L Levi; M Bartley; M Marmot; R Karasek; T Theorell; J Siegrist; R Peter; K Belkić; C Savić; P Schnall; P Landsbergis Journal: Occup Med Date: 2000 Jan-Mar
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