What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Cross-Sectional. Population: Job stress (n=140). Intervention: Job stress vs. Low job strain. Primary outcome: Low-frequency power of heart rate variability (ln ms^2) (p=0.61).

January 1, 2010Industrial Health23 citationsOpen Access

Heart Rate Variability and Urinary Catecholamines from Job Stress in Korean Male Manufacturing Workers According to Work Seniority

KLKyoungho Lee KYKijung Yoon MHMina Ha

Key Result

Job stress did not have a significant overall effect on heart rate variability or urinary catecholamines in male manufacturing workers.

Study Design

Type

Cross-Sectional (n=140)

Multicenter

Structured PICO

Does high job stress alter heart rate variability and urinary catecholamines in male manufacturing workers?

Population

140 male manufacturing workers, aged 25 to 44 years, evaluated for the relationship between job stress and autonomic nervous system activity.

Exposure

High job stress (assessed by Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire)

Comparator

Low job stress

Outcome

Heart rate variability (HRV) and urinary catecholaminessurrogate

Heart rate variability may serve as a physiologic indicator of job stress in employees with a short duration of employment, despite no overall significant effect of stress on HRV or catecholamines.

Main Result

Absolute Event Rate: 6.13% vs 5.89%

p-value: p=0.61

Limitations

Small sample size (n=140) leading to low statistical power.
Karasek model might not be sensitive enough for Korean male manufacturing workers.
Cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
Use of point urine samples rather than 24-hour urine collections.
Lack of control for confounding factors such as daily life stressors and caffeine intake.
Study population restricted to Korean male workers, limiting generalizability.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between job stress and indicators of autonomic nervous system activity in employees of the manufacturing industry. A total of 140 employees from a company that manufactures consumer goods (i.e., diapers and paper towels) were recruited for participation in this study. Job stress was assessed using Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire. Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured using a heart rate monitor, and urinary catecholamines were measured by an HPLC-ECD. Information on demographic characteristics, previous job history, smoking status and alcohol consumption was also collected. Job stress did not have a significant effect on HRV or catecholamines. However, low-frequency HRV was significantly higher in the high-strain group of subjects with a short duration of employment. Low- and high-frequency HRV were higher in the high-strain group than in the low-strain group, but these differences were not statistically significant. The results of the present study indicate that low-frequency HRV was significantly higher in the high-strain group of subjects with a short duration of employment. In addition, the results of this study show that HRV can be used as a potential physiologic indicator of job stress in employees with a short duration of employment.

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