O-004 a Multicohort Study of the Effects of Psychosocial and Physical Work Exposures on All-Cause Mortality: Findings From Us and European Middle-Aged Adults

Introduction Previous evidence on all-cause mortality risk associated with the psychosocial and physical work exposures are inconsistent. A multicohort study with participant-level data likely offers stronger evidence in understanding these associations. Methods Data from England, Finland, France, and the US were used. We studied 37202 and 38921 individuals with baseline information on psychosocial and physical work exposures, respectively. Self-reported data on work exposures were collected in 1981-2009. Mortality data came from the national register. Associations between the work exposures and all-cause mortality were examined using Cox regression, adjusted for relevant confounders. Pooled estimates were calculated using random-effects meta-analysis. Results The mean follow-up was 24 (SD 8) years (age 48 [IQR 9], 62% male), during which 7201 participants died. Among those who died, 53% (n=19824) were exposed to high psychosocial exposure. Additionally, we observed 7401 deaths in individuals with data on physical exposure, with 49% (n=18952) of them exposed to high physical exposure. Fully adjusted estimates showed that high psychosocial exposure was associated with elevated risk of all-cause mortality in the English cohort (HR 2.17; 95% CI 1.12–4.19), and lower risk in the Finnish cohort (HR 0.90; 95% CI 0.82–0.99). No significant associations were found for high physical exposure. Pooled estimates were not significant for either exposure. Discussion All-cause mortality risk did not vary by level of psychosocial and physical work exposures. The mortality risk was partially explained by non-work-related factors (sociodemographic, health, and lifestyle factors). Conclusion There is limited evidence that high psychosocial and physical work exposures are associated with all-cause mortality.