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Job Strain and Early Atherosclerosis: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

From the Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland (M.H., M.K., M.E., L.P.-R., P.K., L.K.-J.); University of Helsinki and Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland (M.K.). National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Helsinki, Finland (M.E.); Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland (M.J.); Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland (O.T.R.).

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen, PhD, Department of Psychology, P.O. Box 9 (Siltavuorenpenger 20 D), 00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. E-mail: Liisa.Keltikangas-jarvinen{at}helsinki.fi

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether job strain and social support are associated with early atherosclerosis measured by carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in young adults.

Methods: The subjects were 478 men and 542 women (mean age 32.3) who were participating in the ongoing prospective Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study. Job strain was defined as a joint effect of job demands and job control. Early atherosclerosis was determined with IMT ultrasound. The associations between job strain, social support, and IMT were evaluated using multiple linear regressions.

Results: In men, job strain was associated with increased IMT after adjustment for age. This association was not attenuated by additional adjustment for established risk factors of coronary heart disease. In women, job strain was not associated with IMT. No 3-way interaction of job demand, job control, and social support on IMT was found.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that job strain may be related to atherosclerosis already in its early nonsymptomatic stages in men.

Key Words: job strain • work stress • social support • intima-media thickness • IMT • atherosclerosis

Abbreviations: BMI = body mass index; CHD = coronary heart disease; CRYF = Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns; HDL = high-density lipoprotein; IMT = intima-media thickness; LDL = low-density lipoprotein; OSQ = Occupational Stress Questionnaire; PAI = physical activity index; SES = socioeconomic status.

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