Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-5-2014
Keywords
work-related stress, psychosocial work environment, socioeconomic position, education, multimorbidity, complex health problems, old age, longitudinal, Sweden
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-878
Abstract
Background: People spend a considerable amount of time at work over the course of their lives, which makes the workplace important to health and aging. However, little is known about the potential long-term effects of work-related stress on late-life health. This study aims to examine work-related stress in late midlife and educational attainment in relation to serious health problems in old age.
Methods: Data from nationally representative Swedish surveys were used in the analyses (n = 1,502). Follow-up time was 20–24 years. Logistic regressions were used to examine work-related stress (self-reported job demands, job control, and job strain) in relation to serious health problems measured as none, serious problems in one health domain, and serious problems in two or three health domains (complex health problems).
Results: While not all results were statistically significant, high job demands were associated with higher odds of serious health problems among women but lower odds of serious health problems among men. Job control was negatively associated with serious health problems. The strongest association in this study was between high job strain and complex health problems. After adjustment for educational attainment some of the associations became statistically nonsignificant. However, high job demands, remained related to lower odds of serious problems in one health domain among men, and low job control remained associated with higher odds of complex health problems among men. High job demands were associated with lower odds of complex health problems among men with low education, but not among men with high education, or among women regardless of level of education.
Conclusions: The results underscore the importance of work-related stress for long-term health. Modification to work environment to reduce work stress (e.g., providing opportunities for self-direction/monitoring levels of psychological job demands) may serve as a springboard for the development of preventive strategies to improve public health both before and after retirement.
Rights Information
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
BMC Public Health, v. 14, art. 878
Scholar Commons Citation
Nilsen, Charlotta; Andel, Ross; Fors, Stefan; Meinow, Bettina; Mattsson, Alexander D.; and Kåreholt, Ingemar, "Associations Between Work-Related Stress in Late Midlife, Educational Attainment, and Serious Health Problems in Old Age: A Longitudinal Study with Over 20 Years of Follow-Up" (2014). Aging Studies Faculty Publications. 3.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/gey_facpub/3
