Work-related life events, psychological well-being and cardiovascular risk factors in male Swedish automotive workers

• Published in: Occupational medicine (Oxford) Vol. 56; no. 6; pp. 386 - 392
• Main Authors: Rose, Gisela, Kumlin, Lars, Dimberg, Lennart, Bengtsson, Calle, Orth-Gomer, Kristina, Cai, Xiaodong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01-09-2006; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Alcohol Drinking; Anxiety - complications; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Automobiles; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Blood Glucose - analysis; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular Diseases - psychology; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Coronary disease; Coronary heart disease; Educational Status; Follow-Up Studies; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heart; Humans; Industry; Life Change Events; life event; Linear Models; Lipids - blood; Male; MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES; Medical sciences; MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP; Middle Aged; Occupational Diseases - psychology; Occupational psychology; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; psychological; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Risk Factors; Smoking - adverse effects; Socioeconomic Factors; stress; Stress, Psychological; Triglycerides - blood; Waist-Hip Ratio; Work condition. Job performance. Stress; Sweden; Europe; Human; risk factors; psychological; Cardiovascular disease; Male; life event; Clerical personnel; Psychological effect; Occupational exposure; Coronary heart disease; Coronary disease; Stress; Vascular disease; Life events; Atherosclerosis; Risk factor; Automobile industry; Health hazards; Cardiovascular risk; Worker; Occupational medicine; Psychological well being; Social support
• ISSN: 0962-7480; 1471-8405
• DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kql037

Aims To analyse the relationship between life events, social support, psychological well-being and cardiovascular risk factors in blue- and white-collar Swedish automotive workers. Methods Baseline questionnaire regarding life events, social support, depressed mood and mental strain and smoking habits. Follow-up questionnaire after 5 years included the Psychological General Well-being Inventory to assess various health variables. At baseline and follow-up, anthropometric data were obtained. Blood pressure, blood glucose and serum lipids were measured and smoking habits were surveyed. Results The blue-collar workers showed a profile indicating increased cardiovascular risk with a higher proportion of smokers, a higher waist to hip ratio and higher triglycerides. They also reported themselves to have worse general health and less emotional self-control, but were less anxious than the white-collar workers. Negative life events, especially those related to work seemed to affect the well-being of the blue-collar workers more adversely than the white-collar workers. Being nervous and depressed at baseline increased the risk of poor psychological well-being at the follow-up. Social support within this 5-year perspective was a factor which predicted psychological well-being in both worker categories. Increase in cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio was the only cardiovascular risk factor associated with the strain of life events but not with work-related events. Conclusion Over a 5-year period, men who experienced negative, strongly stressful and work-related life events displayed poorer psychological well-being at follow-up regardless of worker category. Social support was protective.