Objectives
To examine the association between two job stress models—the job strain (JDC) and the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model—and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in call handler ...operators.
Methods
Participants included 74 women (age, 34.9 ± 9.9 years) and 26 men (age 36.0 ± 10.8 years) who were monitored on 2 workdays for ambulatory blood pressure. Measures of both job stress models were related to blood pressure by the generalized estimating equations (GEE) method while adjusting for potential confounders (gender, age, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, educational level, marital status, time of day, and work schedule).
Results
Workshifts were associated with an increase of 3–4 and 14 mmHg in mean arterial pressure (MAP) compared with diurnal activities out of work and sleeping period, respectively (
P
< 0.001). Ambulatory blood pressure was also significantly related with work schedule preference: unpleasant work schedule was associated with an increase of 2 mmHg in MAP compared with pleasant work schedule (
P
= 0.013). In the ERI model, subjects scoring high in work stress have higher ambulatory blood pressure at work, at home, and during sleep. Work stress by time interaction was not longer significant when controlling for potential confounders: generalized estimating equations revealed that MAP was influenced by BMI (>25 vs. <25: 0.7 (0.2–1.1) mmHg), workshift preference (unpleasant vs. pleasant: 2 (0.4–3.6) mmHg), and time of day. Weak not significant relation was found between ABP and psychosocial factors evaluated by the JDC and ERI models.
Conclusion
These results do not support work stress as a significant factor influencing ABP in a homogeneous group of call-handlers. Complementary information independently obtained from the two work stress models could provide more exhaustive explanations on the stress-related effects on blood pressure.
Exposure to flour dust may induce chronic respiratory manifestations as well as acute ventilatory effects. We compared the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, ventilatory impairment, and variations ...in pulmonary function over the workshift in a group of mill workers exposed to wheat flour and in referent workers. One hundred and forty-two men exposed to flour in a mill and 37 referent workers were included in this study. Each subject completed a standardized questionnaire. Pulmonary function tests were performed before and after the workshift. The assessment of environmental exposure to flour showed high concentrations during some jobs with a high percentage of inhalable particles and a low concentration of respirable particles. The exposed workers had a significantly higher prevalence of usual cough and usual phlegm than the referents. The prevalence of asthma, based on the questionnaire, was similar. Before the workshift, the exposed workers had significantly lower mean lung function values for peak flow rate and forced expiratory flow rate at 75% of the vital capacity than the referents. After the workshift, all the lung function values showed a slight decrease, significant for forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume during 1 s in both groups. Among the exposed workers, the asthmatic subjects had a significantly higher decrease across the shift than the nonasthmatic workers. This result is probably linked to bronchial hyperreactivity. Among nonasthmatic subjects, the decrease was larger in nonexposed workers than in exposed workers. A higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms and lower pulmonary function values were observed among mill workers by comparison with referents. Moreover, the data suggest that asthmatic status and the time of spirometric measurements need to be taken into account in epidemiological studies on exposure to airborne allergens. In addition, the study does not exclude a healthy worker effect with selection of dust-resistant subjects or better identification of asthmatic subjects among the workers exposed to an allergenic substance than among the nonexposed workers.
