Does workplace social capital buffer the effects of job stress? A cross-sectional, multilevel analysis of cigarette smoking among U.S. manufacturing workers.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether workplace social capital buffers the association between job stress and smoking status.

METHODS

As part of the Harvard Cancer Prevention Project's Healthy Directions--Small Business Study, interviewer-administered questionnaires were completed by 1740 workers and 288 managers in 26 manufacturing firms (84% and 85% response). Social capital was assessed by multiple items measured at the individual level among workers and contextual level among managers. Job stress was operationalized by the demand-control model. Multilevel logistic regression was used to estimate associations between job stressors and smoking and test for effect modification by social capital measures.

RESULTS

Workplace social capital (both summary measures) buffered associations between high job demands and smoking. One compositional item--worker trust in managers--buffered associations between job strain and smoking.

CONCLUSION

Workplace social capital may modify the effects of psychosocial working conditions on health behaviors.