Online Program

279363
Is hypertension associated with work organization and psychosocial occupational exposures? – a cross-sectional study based on the 2010 national health interview survey


Monday, November 4, 2013

Harpriya Kaur, MPH, Department of Epidemiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Sara E. Luckhaupt, MD, MPH, Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH
Jia Li, MS, Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, & Field Studies National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC-NIOSH, Cincinnati, OH
Toni Alterman, PhD, Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH
Geoffrey M. Calvert, MD, MPH, Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH
Background and Objectives: Several studies have suggested associations between hypertension and certain work organization and psychosocial occupational exposures, but most of these have been small and/or restricted to specific industry or occupational groups. The goal of this study was to explore these associations among a nationally representative sample of US workers. Methods: Data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey, which included an occupational health supplement, were used to examine relationships between the prevalence of self-reported hypertension and long work hours, job insecurity, hostile work environment, and work- family imbalance. The prevalence of hypertension by occupation and industry of employment was also examined. Multivariate analyses were performed using survey logistic regression models. Results: Data were available for 17,494 adults who worked in past 12 months. Job insecurity (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.18; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06-1.31) and hostile work environment (aOR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.05-1.48) were found to be significantly associated with hypertension. In addition, after controlling for demographic factors, job insecurity, and hostile work environment, employment in the following occupations/industries (O/I) appeared to increase the odds of hypertension compared to employment in all other O/I combined: Healthcare support occupations (aOR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.16-2.09), Public administration industries (aOR: 1.34; 95%CI: 1.10-1.64), and Healthcare and social assistance industries (aOR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.04-1.40). Conclusion: We found evidence for associations between job insecurity and hostile work environments and self-reported hypertension. We also found variation in the prevalence of hypertension among workers in different industry and occupation categories.

Learning Areas:

Epidemiology
Occupational health and safety

Learning Objectives:
Describe the association between self-reported hypertension and certain work organization and psychosocial occupational exposures. Identify the occupations and industries that have higher prevalence of self-reported hypertension

Keyword(s): Workplace Stressors, Hypertension

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal investigator of this project during masters of public health (Epidemiology) and work in the conjunction with Sara Luckhaupt, CDC-NIOSH from January 2012- present. Among my scientific interests include Occupational health, chronic diseases prevention and control.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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