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Document ID (ISN)111370
CIS number 11-0047
ISSN - Serial title 0340-0131 - International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
Year 2011
Convention or series no.
Author(s) Clays E., De Bacquer D., Crasset V., Kittel F., de Smet P., Kornitzer M., Karasek R., De Backer G.
Title The perception of work stressors is related to reduced parasympathetic activity
Bibliographic information 2011, Vol. 84, p.185-191. 37 ref.
Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the perception of work stressors in relation to ambulatory measures of heart rate variability (HRV). Subjects consisted of a sample of 653 healthy male workers aged 40-55 from the Belgian Physical Fitness Study conducted in 1976-1978. Data were collected by means of self-administered questionnaires and bio-clinical examinations. An index of physical and psychosocial work stressors containing five items was constructed based on the job stress questionnaire. Data on HRV were collected by means of 24-h ambulatory ECG recordings on a working day. Both time and frequency domain measures of HRV were calculated. Associations between work stressors and HRV measures were assessed by means of correlations, multiple linear regression analysis and analysis of (co)variance. Findings support the hypothesis that the parasympathetic component of the autonomic nervous system is related to work stress.
Descriptors (primary) pulse rate; stress studies; stress factors
Descriptors (secondary) autonomic nervous system; heart rate monitoring; subjective assessment; questionnaire survey
Document type D - Periodical articles
Subject(s) Psychology and sociology
Broad subject area(s) Occupational medicine, epidemiology
Browse category(ies) Psychology of work organization