Lower socioeconomic status among men in relation to
the association between job strain and blood pressure.
Landsbergis PA, Schnall PL, Pickering TG, Warren K,
Schwartz JE
Scand J Work Environ Health 2003;29(3):206-215.
Objectives This study attempted to determine whether the association
between job strain (high job demands plus low job control) and
blood pressure among men varies by socioeconomic status.
Methods The cross-sectional associations between job strain and
ambulatory blood pressure, by level of education, occupational
status, and income, and the interaction between job strain and
these measures of socioeconomic status were assessed by multiple
linear regression, adjusted for age, race or ethnicity, body mass
index, alcohol use, smoking, standing position, and worksite for
283 men, aged 30-60 years, from eight worksites in New York City.
Results A substantial association between job strain and work
ambulatory blood pressure was found among men with lower socioeconomic
status, ranging from 2.7-11.8 mm Hg systolic to 1.9-6.1 mm Hg
diastolic blood pressure, depending upon the measure of socioeconomic
status examined. However, in the groups with high socioeconomic
status, the association between job strain and ambulatory blood
pressure at work was much smaller, the range in blood pressure
being 0-5.3 (systolic) and 0.2-2.1 (diastolic) mm Hg. Two of the
10 tests of the interaction between job strain and socioeconomic
status had a P-value of <0.05.
Conclusions These data provide evidence that the relationship
of job strain with blood pressure is greater among men with lower
socioeconomic status.
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