Job strain and incident metabolic syndrome over 5 years of follow-up: the coronary artery risk development in young adults study.

Abstract

Theories of stress-induced metabolic syndrome predict that job strain would increase risk. Few studies have evaluated this association. To evaluate the association between job strain and the risk of metabolic syndrome. We investigated associations between job strain and incident metabolic syndrome adjusted for sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, and depressive symptoms over 5 years among 2966 black and white men and women in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. Job strain was categorized by Karasek's model: high demands/low control; high demands/high control; low demands/low control; and low demands/high control. Compared with persons in low-strain jobs, men in active jobs (adjusted hazards ratio, 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.5 to 4.9) and women in high strain jobs (adjusted hazards ratio, 2.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.0 to 4.6) had significantly increased risk of metabolic syndrome. Job strain may be a modifiable risk factor for metabolic syndrome and subsequent cardiovascular disease.