Job strain and unhealthy lifestyle: results from the baseline cohort study, Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

Abstract

BackgroundUnhealthy lifestyle choices, such as smoking and sedentary behavior, are among the main modifiable risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases. The workplace is regarded as an important site of potential health risks where preventive strategies can be effective. We investigated independent associations among psychosocial job strain, leisure-time physical inactivity, and smoking in public servants in the largest Brazilian adult cohort.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)—a multicenter prospective cohort study of civil servants. Our analytical samples comprised 11,779 and 11,963 current workers for, respectively, analyses of job strain and leisure-time physical activity and analyses of job strain and smoking. Job strain was assessed using the Brazilian version of the Swedish Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire; physical activity was evaluated using a short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. We also examined smoking status and number of cigarettes smoked per day. The association reported in this paper was assessed by means of multinomial and logistic regression, stratified by sex.ResultsAmong men, compared with low-strain activities (low demand and high control), job strain showed an association with physical inactivity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09–1.64) or with the practice of physical activities of less than recommended duration (OR = 1.44; 95% CI = 1.15–1.82). Among women, greater likelihood of physical inactivity was identified among job-strain and passive-job groups (OR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.22–1.77 and OR = 1.42; 95% CI = 1.20–1.67, respectively). Greater control at work was a protective factor for physical inactivity among both men and women. Social support at work was a protective factor for physical inactivity among women, as was smoking for both genders. We observed no association between demand or control dimensions and smoking.ConclusionsJob strain, job control, and social support were associated with physical activity. Social support at work was protective of smoking. Our results are comparable to those found in more developed countries; they provide additional evidence of an association between an adverse psychosocial work environment and health-related behaviors.

Status constraint and lifestyle transition: a latent class analysis of health-related lifestyles among different social strata in China

“…At the same time, their reliance on modern technology at work increases the likelihood of prolonged sitting, and work pressure reduces their chance to rest or relax. The relationship between occupational status and lifestyle is consistent with western research (Griep et al 2015), supporting the status constraint hypothesis. Those with a highstatus occupation (professional/managerial employees) have advantages in autonomy at work, levels of control, working conditions and the resource distribution process, and they have higher standards for their lifestyles (such as smoking prohibitions at work).…”

Job strain and binge eating among Brazilian workers participating in the ELSA-Brasil study: does BMI matter?

“…Social support from colleagues and immediate supervisors is considered as an effect-modifier in the model 9) . Job strain has been associated with unhealthy behaviors that favor weight gain, such as physical inactivity 10) and unhealthy eating 11) .…”

The association between job stress and leisure-time physical inactivity adjusted for individual attributes: evidence from a Japanese occupational cohort survey

“…However, the reduction in a sedentary lifestyle has been modest in advanced countries (1)(2)(3)(4). Meanwhile, studies have suggested that exposure to job stress can be a potential contributor to leisuretime physical inactivity, as well as to other health-risk behaviors (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12). It can be hypothesized that job stress may result in fatigue as well as general passivity and apathy, which may spill over to leisure time and impede the implementation of exercise intentions, increasing the likelihood of physical inactivity in leisure time (6,13,14).…”

“…The effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model may also have implications for physical inactivity since it argues that an imbalance between higher effort spent on Oshio et al work and lower reward obtained from it has a stressful impact on workers (16). Based on the JDC and/or ERI models, an increasing number of studies have examined the association between job stress and physical inactivity (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(17)(18)(19). However, the results have been generally inconclusive; some studies have provided evidence supportive of a positive, albeit modest, association between job stress and physical inactivity (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12), while others have been skeptical of such an association (17)(18)(19)(20).…”