The relationship between job enrichment and abdominal obesity: a longitudinal field study of apparently healthy individuals.

Obesity has become an epidemic in modern society. However, there is a paucity of research about how job context affects obesity. To enhance our knowledge we used a large, heterogeneous sample of apparently healthy employees (n = 1,949) across two time periods with an average of close to 3.

Burnout and vigor as predictors of the incidence of hyperlipidemia among healthy employees.

We examined the effects of burnout and vigor on the incidence of hyperlipidemia. Based on the bivariate theoretical approach to negative and positive affects and on past studies on the prediction of blood lipids by burnout and vigor, we expected increases from Time 1 (T1) to Time 2 (T2) in burnout levels to be associated with an increase in the risk for hyperlipidemia and T1-T2 increases in vigor levels to be associated with a decrease in the risk of hyperlipidemia. Our sample consisted of 3,337 healthy employees (2,214 men and 1,123 women) who were followed up for about 27 months on average.

The relationship of the job demands-control-support model with vigor across time: testing for reciprocality.

We used a longitudinal design to investigate the hypotheses that the components of the Job Demands-Control-Support model and changes in their levels over time predict subsequent changes in levels of positive affect of vigor over time, and vice versa. Our study was conducted on a sample of adults working in a variety of occupations (N = 909, 68% men) at three points in time (T1, T2, and T3), over a period of about four years, controlling for neuroticism and other potential confounding variables. Job control at T1 and increase in its levels from T1 to T2 predicted an increase from T2 to T3 in the levels of vigor, whereas for social support, only its level at T1 predicted an increase from T2 to T3 in levels of vigor.

Work characteristics as predictors of diabetes incidence among apparently healthy employees.

The objective of this article was to investigate the associations of the Job Demand Control-Support (JDC-S) model's components, job demands, job control, and work social support, as well as their interactive terms, with the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Participants were apparently healthy 5,843 men and women who underwent routine health checks at two points of time, about 41 months apart from one another. New cases of diabetes (N = 182) during follow-up period were defined based on fasting glucose value ≥ 126 mg/dl or glycosylated hemoglobin value ≥ 6.

Life and Job Satisfaction as Predictors of the Incidence of Diabetes.

We studied the hypothesised effects of baseline levels of life satisfaction and of job satisfaction on the incidence of diabetes. Participants were 2,305 apparently healthy men and women who underwent routine health checks at two points in time, about 20 months apart. New cases of diabetes (N=104) were defined based on fasting glucose value > 125, or glycosylated hemoglobin value > 6.

The effects of vigour on measures of obesity across time.

Objectives: Past studies expected measures of obesity to be positively associated with positive affects. However, this hypothesis was not tested in reference to a specific positive affect. We tested the hypothesized unidirectional effects of measures of obesity on vigour, representing a positive affect, and of vigour on measures of obesity.

The across-time associations of the five-factor model of personality with vigor and its facets using the bifactor model.

We tested hypothesized across-time associations of personality traits with the affective state of global vigor and its physical, emotional, and cognitive facets. The study was carried out in the context of work, where vigor represents a discrete, positive affective response to one's ongoing interactions with specific elements of the work environment. Our model was based on the bifactor approach to modeling second-order constructs in structural equation modeling.

Work-based predictors of mortality: a 20-year follow-up of healthy employees.

Objectives: This study investigated the effects of the Job-Demand-Control-Support (JDC-S) model's components, workload, control, peer and supervisor social support, on the risk of all-cause mortality. Also examined was the expectation that the above work-based components interact in predicting all-cause mortality. The study's hypotheses were tested after controlling for physiological variables and health behaviors known to be risk factors for mortality.

The big five personality factors as predictors of changes across time in burnout and its facets.

We tested the effects of Neuroticism and Conscientiousness on burnout across time, controlling for age, gender, work hours, and depressive symptoms. Our theoretical model included both global burnout and its physical, emotional, and cognitive facets, consistent with the bifactor approach to modeling second-order constructs in structural equation modeling. Data were gathered from 1,105 respondents (63% men) who completed questionnaires at Time 1 (T1) and approximately 24 months later at Time 2 (T2).

The relationships between self-rated health and serum lipids across time.

Background And Purpose: We studied the hypothesized effects of changes in self-rated health (SRH) on subsequently assessed changes in the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides (TRI), separately for men and women. We also investigated the reverse causation hypothesis, expecting the initial changes in the levels of serum lipids to predict subsequently assessed changes in SRH levels.

Methods: We used a longitudinal design and controlled for possible confounders known to be precursors of both SRH and the above three serum lipids.

Elevated burnout predicts the onset of musculoskeletal pain among apparently healthy employees.

Musculoskeletal (MS) pain is highly prevalent in the working population, often resulting in chronic disability. Burnout represents accumulated exposure to work-related stresses and therefore could predict the incidence of MS pain. We investigated prospectively the extent to which changes in the levels of burnout over time predict new cases of MS pain.

Feeling vigorous and the risks of all-cause mortality, ischemic heart disease, and diabetes: a 20-year follow-up of healthy employees.

Objective: To investigate prospectively the effects of vigor at work on the end points of mortality and the prevalence of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and diabetes.

Methods: We tested the hypothesized beneficial effects of feeling vigorous at work at baseline on the risks of all-cause mortality, IHD, and diabetes during a 20-year follow-up. Participants were healthy employees (n = 968) who underwent a routine health check at baseline.

Burnout as a predictor of all-cause mortality among industrial employees: a 10-year prospective register-linkage study.

Objective: Burnout, a psychological consequence of prolonged work stress, has been shown to coexist with physical and mental disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate whether burnout is related to all-cause mortality among employees.

Methods: In 1996, of 15,466 Finnish forest industry employees, 9705 participated in the 'Still Working' study and 8371 were subsequently identified from the National Population Register.

Aroused versus calm positive affects as predictors of lipids.

Objective: The authors hypothesized that high-pleasure low-arousal (HPLA) would predict a subsequent decrease of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TRI), as well as a subsequent increase of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). The authors also hypothesized that high-pleasure high-arousal (HPHA) would have the opposite effects on these blood lipids, predicting a subsequent increase of LDL-C and TRI, and a decrease of HDL-C.

Design: Participants were 990 male and 595 female apparently healthy employees who underwent a routine periodic health examination at two points in time, Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2), about 24 months apart.

Workload, control, and social support effects on serum lipids: a longitudinal study among apparently healthy employed adults.

The authors investigated the direct and interactive effects of the job demand- control-support (JDC-S) model's components on subsequent changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides (TRI) separately for male and female employees. In contrast to all 14 past studies on these relationships, the authors used a longitudinal design. Study participants (N = 1,137, 66% men) were all apparently healthy employees who underwent a routine health check at 2 points in time (Time 1 and Time 2) about 22 months apart.

Relation of educational level to inflammation-sensitive biomarker level.

It is a well-established finding that cardiovascular morbidity varies among groups of different socioeconomic status. Inflammatory processes have been proposed as a possible mediator of this variance. Level of education is an important indicator of socioeconomic status, inversely related to levels of inflammatory biomarkers.

The effects of physical fitness and feeling vigorous on self-rated health.

Objective: We prospectively studied the hypothesized beneficial effects of feeling vigorous and of objective physical fitness (gauged based on functional capacity) on subsequently assessed self-rated health (SRH), controlling for possible confounders known to be precursors of SRH and of our predictors. We also investigated the reverse-causation hypothesis that SRH predicts subsequent vigor and functional capacity.

Design: Participants were apparently healthy employees (N = 779) who underwent a routine health check at two points of time, Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2), about 18 months apart.

On the nature of burnout-insomnia relationships: a prospective study of employed adults.

Objective: This prospective study was designed to test the hypothesis that burnout and insomnia predict each other's incidence and intensification across time. Burnout is conceptualized as representing individuals' unique affective response to their exposure to chronic stressors.

Method: Apparently healthy respondents (1356) completed questionnaires during periodic health examinations undergone at two time points T(1) and T(2), about 18 months apart.

Inflammation markers in individuals with history of mental health crisis.

The association between temporary emotional states and systemic inflammation has never been studied. We measured the levels of systemic inflammation markers in the peripheral blood of individuals with history of mental health crisis. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), fibrinogen plasma level, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) serum level, and white blood cell count (WBCC) were measured for each individual during routine screening examinations.

A prospective study of the association between obesity and burnout among apparently healthy men and women.

The authors prospectively tested the hypothesis that obesity predicts burnout and the reverse-causation hypothesis that burnout predicts obesity. Respondents were 724 men and 340 women, apparently healthy employees, who underwent routine periodic health examinations at 2 points of time about 18 months apart. Obesity was assessed by body mass index, waist-hip ratio, and waist circumference.

Depression and the metabolic syndrome: gender-dependent associations.

This study was designed to test the extent to which depressive symptoms are associated with the presence of the metabolic syndrome (MS) and each of its components, and whether these relationships are gender dependent. Participants were apparently healthy employed men (N=2,355) and women (N=1,525) who underwent a routine health check between the years 2003 and 2005. We used logistic regression analysis, predicting the MS by depressive symptoms, as assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire, and the following control variables: age, education, smoking status, physical exercise, anxiety, and burnout.

Very low C-reactive protein in apparently healthy individuals: physiological status or just a reflection of an improved health profile.

The objective of our study was to determine whether the very low concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) detected by high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) assays that one encounters from time to time in apparently healthy individual represent a physiological status or are just a reflection of an improved general health profile. The concentration of hs-CRP was determined by using the Behring BN II nephelometer. The arbitrary cut-off point of hs-CRP ( View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Exposure to and fear of terror as predictors of self-rated health among apparently healthy employees.

The effects of exposure to terror on physical health were investigated by relating objective exposure to terror and fear of terror to self-rated health (SRH), a proxy measure of health status. Our respondents were apparently healthy (N=4,877, 38% women) adults who completed self-report questionnaires. Objective exposure was assessed by the number of terrorist attacks and their casualties in a respondent's urban area prior to her/his completion of the questionnaire.

Burnout and risk of type 2 diabetes: a prospective study of apparently healthy employed persons.

Objective: This prospective study was designed to test the extent to which the onset of type 2 diabetes in apparently healthy individuals was predicted by burnout, a unique affective response to combined exposure to chronic stressors.

Methods: The study participants were 677 employed men and women who were followed up for 3 to 5 years (mean = 3.6 years) for the onset of diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

Overload, autonomy, and burnout as predictors of physicians' quality of care.

A model in which perceived overload and burnout mediated the relations of workload and autonomy with physicians' quality of care to their patients was examined. The study was based on data from 890 specialists representing six medical specialties. Including global burnout as well as its three first-order facets of physical fatigue, cognitive weariness, and emotional exhaustion improved the fit between the structural model and the data relative to an alternative model that included only global burnout.