Department of Nursing, Baika Women's University, 2-19-5 Shukunosho, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-8578, Japan.
Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
Int J Behav Med. 2022 Jun;29(3):299-307. doi: 10.1007/s12529-021-10020-2. Epub 2021 Aug 30.
The present study investigated associations between occupation, job stress, and salivary cortisol levels after psychological tasks.
We examined 766 (273 men and 493 women) healthy employed Japanese participants aged 21 to 68 years (mean age = 46.4 years, standard deviation = 8.5) with three types of occupation: manager, teacher, and general worker. The Brief Job Stress Questionnaire was used to evaluate participants' job stress levels, including job demand, job control, support from supervisors, and support from coworkers. Salivary cortisol levels were measured at pre-session, post-stressful tasks, and post-relaxation. All samples were assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test. Natural log transformation was applied before statistical analyses. A multiple regression analysis and a repeated measures analysis of covariance were conducted to test associations between occupation and salivary cortisol levels, adjusting for confounding factors. Statistical analyses were conducted separately for men and women.
Among both men and women, general workers had higher cortisol levels than managers throughout the experimental session (men 0.6 μg/dL and 0.4 μg/dL, respectively; women 0.5 μg/dL and 0.4 μg/dL, respectively). Job control was positively associated with cortisol levels measured in all sessions, after adjusting for confounding factors (standardized beta 0.15, 0.21, and 0.18 for pre-session, post-stressful-tasks, and post-relaxation, respectively, all p < 0.05). Men with low support from coworkers had higher cortisol levels than those with high support through the sessions (0.6 μg/dL and 0.4 μg/dL, respectively).
Socioeconomic disparity according to occupational status was related to cortisol levels in Japanese workers. Support from coworkers may be effective for reducing cortisol secretion in men.
本研究调查了职业、工作压力与心理任务后唾液皮质醇水平之间的关系。
我们检查了 766 名（273 名男性和 493 名女性）年龄在 21 至 68 岁（平均年龄 46.4 岁，标准差 8.5）的健康日本在职员工，他们从事三种职业：经理、教师和普通工人。使用《简要工作压力问卷》评估参与者的工作压力水平，包括工作需求、工作控制、主管支持和同事支持。在课前、应激任务后和放松后测量唾液皮质醇水平。所有样本均使用酶联免疫吸附试验进行检测。在进行统计分析之前，应用自然对数转换。进行多元回归分析和重复测量协方差分析，以检验职业与唾液皮质醇水平之间的关系，同时调整混杂因素。分别对男性和女性进行分析。
在男性和女性中，普通工人在整个实验过程中的皮质醇水平均高于经理（男性分别为 0.6μg/dL 和 0.4μg/dL；女性分别为 0.5μg/dL 和 0.4μg/dL）。在调整混杂因素后，工作控制与所有三个时间段（课前、应激任务后和放松后）的皮质醇水平呈正相关（标准化β分别为 0.15、0.21 和 0.18，均 p<0.05）。与高同事支持的男性相比，低同事支持的男性在整个实验过程中的皮质醇水平更高（分别为 0.6μg/dL 和 0.4μg/dL）。
根据职业地位的社会经济差异与日本工人的皮质醇水平有关。同事支持可能有助于降低男性的皮质醇分泌。
