The Occupational Stress Index (OSI) questionnaire for physicians was used in a case-control study, with a high participation rate (> 90%). The study was carried out among physicians employed at clinical institutions in Novi Sad, receiving their medical care at the health center situated within the Novi Sad clinical center. The cases were physicians with one or more of the acquired (potentially stress-related) cardiovascular disorders (ACVD) (myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, arterial hypertension and certain arrhythmias). The control group included physicians without manifest ACVD. Two OSI dimensions: high demands (p < 0.05) and threat avoidance (p < 0.05) were dominant in showing significantly higher exposure levels among the cases. The most consistent and significant stressors that distinguished the physicians with ACVD from the referents were long work hours, speed-up and threat of job loss. Personality patterns were not associated with case status. Physicians are a heavily burdened occupational group, and several occupational stressors are significantly associated with case status. Improvements in working conditions as well as early diagnosis are essential for preventing further increases in these disorders among physicians. The next step would be multidisciplinary intervention studies aimed at the work environment, with the goal of identifying scientifically-based strategies that are most effective in preventing ACVD among physicians.
It is important to promote conditions of work (work space, providing new equipment), organization of work, as well as social relationships, which is in accordance with the recommendations of ICN.
Gender is a key effect-modifier of the relationship between exposure to work stressors and ACVD among physicians. Intervention studies should consider gender-specific work stressors, as well as those specific to physicians.
Thirty-five female physicians with, and 74 without clinically-diagnosed hypertension completed the physician-specific Occupational Stress Index (OSI) questionnaire in Novi Sad. Adjusting for covariates including BMI, an OSI high-demand score above the mean yielded an odds ratio (OR) of 3.14 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.05-9.43) for hypertension. Among those with BMI > 26, long workhours and hazardous task performance yielded significantly elevated adjusted OR's for hypertension. Overweight physicians without diagnosed hypertension were more often smokers. The strongest multivariate model for the favorable risk profile (FRP) was: non-smoker without diagnosed-hypertension, having a hobby and lower BMI, with total threat avoidant vigilance score below the mean showing the most significant OR (0.30, 95% CI, 0.12-0.78). Disturbances from other people and listening to emotionally disturbing occurrences also showed significant inverse multivariate associations with FRP. Diminishing work stressor burden should be part of hypertension and other disease prevention strategies for female physicians.
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