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ABSTRACT: Background
Evidence of an association between job strain and obesity is inconsistent, mostly limited to small-scale studies, and does not distinguish between categories of underweight or obesity subclasses.Objectives
To examine the association between job strain and body mass index (BMI) in a large adult population.Methods
We performed a pooled cross-sectional analysis based on individual-level data from 13 European studies resulting in a total of 161 746 participants (49% men, mean age, 43.7 years). Longitudinal analysis with a median follow-up of 4 years was possible for four cohort studies (n = 42 222).Results
A total of 86 429 participants were of normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg m(-2) ), 2149 were underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg m(-2) ), 56 572 overweight (BMI 25.0-29.9 kg m(-2) ) and 13 523 class I (BMI 30-34.9 kg m(-2) ) and 3073 classes II/III (BMI ? 35 kg m(-2) ) obese. In addition, 27 010 (17%) participants reported job strain. In cross-sectional analyses, we found increased odds of job strain amongst underweight [odds ratio 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-1.25], obese class I (odds ratio 1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.12) and obese classes II/III participants (odds ratio 1.14, 95% CI 1.01-1.28) as compared with participants of normal weight. In longitudinal analysis, both weight gain and weight loss were related to the onset of job strain during follow-up.Conclusions
In an analysis of European data, we found both weight gain and weight loss to be associated with the onset of job strain, consistent with a 'U'-shaped cross-sectional association between job strain and BMI. These associations were relatively modest; therefore, it is unlikely that intervention to reduce job strain would be effective in combating obesity at a population level.
SUBMITTER: Nyberg ST
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3437471 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Nyberg S T ST Heikkilä K K Heikkilä K K Fransson E I EI Alfredsson L L De Bacquer D D Bjorner J B JB Bonenfant S S Borritz M M Burr H H Casini A A Clays E E Dragano N N Erbel R R Geuskens G A GA Goldberg M M Hooftman W E WE Houtman I L IL Jöckel K-H KH Kittel F F Knutsson A A Koskenvuo M M Leineweber C C Lunau T T Madsen I E H IE Hanson L L Magnusson LL Marmot M G MG Nielsen M L ML Nordin M M Oksanen T T Pentti J J Rugulies R R Siegrist J J Suominen S S Vahtera J J Virtanen M M Westerholm P P Westerlund H H Zins M M Ferrie J E JE Theorell T T Steptoe A A Hamer M M Singh-Manoux A A Batty G D GD Kivimäki M M
Journal of internal medicine 20111205 1
<h4>Background</h4>Evidence of an association between job strain and obesity is inconsistent, mostly limited to small-scale studies, and does not distinguish between categories of underweight or obesity subclasses.<h4>Objectives</h4>To examine the association between job strain and body mass index (BMI) in a large adult population.<h4>Methods</h4>We performed a pooled cross-sectional analysis based on individual-level data from 13 European studies resulting in a total of 161 746 participants (49 ...[more]