Effort‐reward imbalance and ambulatory blood pressure among female Las Vegas hotel room cleaners

Abstract

Background Effort‐reward imbalance (ERI) was hypothesized to be associated with ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) and pulse pressure (PP) among female hotel room cleaners. Methods ERI, ABP, and PP were assessed among 419 cleaners from five hotels during 18 waking hours. Adjusted linear regression models were used to assess associations of ERI with ABP and PP during 18‐hours, work hours, and after work hours. Results There was a pattern of higher ERI being associated with higher 18‐hour systolic ABP and 18‐hour PP although the results were imprecise. An increase of ERI by half its range was associated with a 1.6 mmHg (95% CI, −1.6‐4.7) increase in 18‐hour systolic blood pressure (SBP) and a 0.7 mmHg (95% CI, −1.1‐2.5) increase in 18‐hour PP. An increase in rewards by half its range was associated with a 2 mmHg decrease in after‐hours SBP (−2.2, 95% CI, −5.4‐1.0) and after‐hours PP (−1.9, 95% CI, −3.8‐0.0). Among females 45 years or older, ERI was associated with 2.1 and 2.2 mmHg increase in 18‐hour and work hours diastolic ABP, respectively, compared to a 0 mmHg change in 18‐hour and work hours diastolic ABP in younger women. The number of dependents at home attenuated the association. Conclusions ERI was positively associated with ABP, particularly SBP, and the association was modified by age and the number dependents at home, although the estimates were imprecise. Workplace interventions that integrate stress management and active ABP surveillance appear warranted. However, larger studies with Latina women need to confirm our results.

Understanding the effects of COVID-19 on the health and safety of immigrant hospitality workers in the United States

“…Further, they often live in housing located in economically depressed or dangerous neighborhoods and are unable to access social services ( Hsieh, Apostolopoulos, Hatzudis, & Sönmez, 2014 ; Hsieh, Apostolopoulos, Hatzudis, & Sönmez, 2015 ; Hsieh, Apostolopoulos, & Sönmez, 2013 ; Hsieh, Apostolopoulos, & Sönmez, 2015 ; Hsieh, Sönmez, Apostolopoulos, & Lemke, 2017 ). These hardships, along with numerous familial, social, health, and legal problems, exacerbate overall levels of strain that lead to a chronic condition of acute stress ( Feaster, Arah, & Krause, 2019 ; Gutierres, Saenz, & Green, 1994 ). Undocumented immigrants face added fears of separation from family members and deportation risks ( McKanders, 2011 ).…”

“…AL has been linked with adverse work conditions ( Hasson, Von Thiele Schwarz, & Lindfors, 2009 ; Schnorpfeil et al, 2003 ; Sun et al, 2007 ), stressful work environments, and job insecurity ( Beckie, 2012 ; Rose et al, 2017 ) as well as lower decision latitudes, higher job demands ( Schnorpfeil et al, 2003 ), greater effort-reward imbalance, and vital exhaustion ( Bellingrath et al, 2009 ; Feaster et al, 2019 ). Sustained exposure to such adverse conditions can trigger physiological, behavioral, emotional, or cognitive reactions leading to anxiety, depression, and burnout ( Pienaar & Willemse, 2008 ) harmful coping mechanisms (e.g., substance misuse) ( Rugulies et al, 2008 ), and other mental health problems ( Burgel et al, 2010 ; Leka & Jain, 2010 ).…”

Effort–Reward Imbalance at Work and Drug Misuse: Evidence from a National Survey in the U.S.

“…These psychometric properties of ERI measure in this U.S. sample are comparable to other validation studies [ 41 ], with extensively supportive evidence from European [ 31 ], Asian [ 42 , 43 ], and Latin-American countries [ 44 ]. Moreover, the ERI model has been used in a couple of studies in the U.S. to examine associations with different health outcomes; however, none of these studies covered general working people in this country, but instead investigated specific occupational strata, such as healthcare workers [ 45 ], firefighters [ 46 ], taxi drivers [ 47 ], cleaners [ 48 ], or older workers [ 49 ]. Taken together, the 17 items are considered a valid proxy measure of the two extrinsic scales of the effort–reward imbalance model in the U.S. working population, thus justifying the test of hypothesized associations.…”

COVID-19 Lockdown and its Impact on Mental Health in Various Population Groups in Greece: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The quality of life of seasonal workers is directly related to their financial situation, while their access to health care institutions is limited and a large percentage of workers do not have adequate insurance coverage (31,32,33). These difficulties in combination with the financial difficulties that lead to the closure of companies due to the lockdown but also the health problems of the workers lead to the increase of stress and anxiety and has affected their quality of life negatively (34).…”