Job Strain

The research aim was to predict the bus operators' blood pressure (BP) and psychological strain using a combination of the Job-Demand Control (JDC) and Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) models. The study was conducted with a sample of 139 bus operators in the city of Bogotá (Colom-bia), who answered a questionnaire that included the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), the ERI Questionnaire, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Four consecutive BP readings taken in the workplace were averaged to calculate an estimation of the bus operators' BP. By conducting multiple linear regressions it was found that, taken together, JDC and ERI models explain 10% (F (11,139) =2,502; p=0.00) of systolic BP variance, and 34% (F (6,139) =8,638; p=0.00) of psychological strain variance. These results suggest that the JDC and ERI predictors provide complementary information which increases the probability of accurately model the bus operators' health.

Introduction: The  widely  documented  relationship  between  psychosocial  work  factors  and  occupational  accidents has not been translated into intervention strategies in some high-risk occupational groups, such as public transport drivers. According to the recent scientific evidence, city bus drivers tend to present high levels of occupational stress, burnout, and accidents at work. Aim: The aim of this study was to characterize the job strain/burnout profile of professional bus drivers, and associate their stress/burnout profile with their road incidents (road accidents + fines) reported in the past 2 years. Materials and Methods: The study sample was formed by 222 Colombian male city bus drivers with an average of 41.36 years of age, a mean of driving experience of 18.63 years and, in average 6.82 years working in their current transport company. The study participants had a mean of 0.51 road accidents and 1.19 traffic fines in the past 2 years. It was designed a questionnaire composed by four sections: (a) Demographics, (b) job strain (Karasek’s job content questionnaire), (c) burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), and (d) self-reported health. Data collection process was conducted in 2014-2015 and analyzes along 2016. Results: A high proportion of city bus drivers report job strain (40.5%). The average scores of emotional exhaustion (X = 21.01) and cynicism (X = 17.88) were also high. Cluster analysis was used to characterize the job strain/burnout profile of professional bus drivers. Two job strain/burnout profiles significantly different were found (low job strain/burnout: n = 34.3% and high job strain/burnout: n = 65.7%). The bus drivers with high job strain/burnout profile reported significantly more accidents than those with low job strain/burnout profile (F(2.216) = 269.1, P = 0.00). Conclusions: This study confirms that the prevalence of occupational stress and burnout are significantly high among Colombian bus drivers. In addition, it was found that the bus drivers’ job strain/burnout profile is related to their performance behind the wheel. Therefore, the intervention on these factors represents a potentially successful strategy for the prevention of road accidents and risk behaviors that lead to penalties and fines.

Objectives. This study examined the impact of the job strain model on exercise and healthy eating within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour.
Design. Participants completed a questionnaire measuring the components of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the job strain model. A follow-up questionnaire a week later measured behaviour.
Method. The questionnaires were completed by e-mail. The initial questionnaire was completed by 331 employees, and 286 follow-up questionnaires were returned.
Results. Job demands affected exercise indirectly by lowering perceptions of behavioural control over exercise. However, variables from the job strain model were not related to exercise intentions or behaviour. In contrast, employees in passive jobs intended to eat more sweets and snack foods and employees in low strain jobs were more likely to realize their intentions to eat more sweets and snack foods. However, variables from the job strain model did not influence consumption of fruit and vegetables.
Conclusions. While people may consider the impact of job strain on exercise whilst making decisions about whether or not to exercise, job strain has a more direct impact on healthy eating. However, job strain may only affect consumption of so-called ‘high density’ foods, rather than foods such as fruit and vegetables.

This Data in Brief (DiB) article examines the association between the Job Demand-Control (JDC) model of stress and traffic safety outcomes (accidents and sanctions) in public transport drivers (n ¼ 780). The data was collected using a structured self-administrable questionnaire composed of measurements of work stress (Job Content Questionnaire), and demographics (professional driving experience, hours and days working/driving per week). The data contains 4 parts: descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations between the study variables , analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Post-Hoc comparisons between drivers classified different quadrants of the JDC model. For further information, it is convenient to read the full article entitled " Working conditions, job strain and traffic safety among three groups of public transport drivers " , published in Safety and Health at Work (SHAW) [1] (Useche et al., 2018).

The research aim was to test the Job Demand-Control (JDC) Model demands × Control interaction (or buffering) hypothesis in a simulated bus driving experiment. The buffering hypothesis was tested using a 2 (low and high demands) × 2 (low and high decision latitude) design with repeated measures on the second factor. A sample of 80 bus operators were randomly assigned to the low (n = 40) and high demands (n = 40) conditions. Demands were manipulated by increasing or reducing the number of stops to pick up passengers, and decision latitude by imposing or removing restrictions on the Rapid Transit Bus (BRT) operators' pace of work. Outcome variables include physiological markers (heart rate [HR], heart rate variability [HRV], breathing rate [BR], electromyography [EMG], and skin conductance [SC]), objective driving performance and self-report measurements of psychological wellbeing (psychological distress, interest/enjoyment [I/E], perceived competence, effort/importance [E/I], and pressure/tension [P/T]). It was found that job decision latitude moderates the effect of job demands on both physiological arousal (BR: F(1, 74) = 4.680, p = .034, SC: F(1, 75) = 6.769, p = .011, and EMG: F(1, 75) = 6.550, p = .013) and psychological well-being (P/T: F(1, 75) = 4.289, p = .042 and I/E: F(1, 74) = 4.548, p = .036). Consistently with the JDC model buffering hypothesis, the experimental findings suggest that increasing job decision latitude can moderate the negative effect of job demands on different psychophysiological outcomes. This finding is useful for designing organizational and clinical interventions in an occupational group at high risk of work stress-related disease. (PsycINFO Database Record)

Four hundred and twenty-two employees completed daily diaries measuring positive affect, negative affect, work hours, and health behaviors (snacking, smoking, exercise, alcohol, caffeine consumption) on work days over a 4-week period. In addition, measures of job demands, job control, and social support (iso-strain variables) were completed on 1 occasion. Multilevel random coefficient modeling was used to examine relationships between the job characteristics, daily work variables, and self-reported health behaviors. Results indicated a more important role for within-person daily fluctuations than for betweenpersons variations in predicting health behaviors. Whereas negative affect was negatively related to health behavior for both men and women, work hours had negative impacts for women only. Iso-strain variables showed few main effects and a modest number of interactions with daily variables (mainly for men). Findings point to the limited impact of stable features of work design compared to the effects of daily work stressors on health behaviors.

Four hundred and twenty-two employees completed daily diaries measuring positive affect, negative affect, work hours, and health behaviors (snacking, smoking, exercise, alcohol, caffeine consumption) on work days over a 4-week period. In addition, measures of job demands, job control, and social support (iso-strain variables) were completed on 1 occasion. Multilevel random coefficient modeling was used to examine relationships between the

Four hundred and twenty-two employees completed daily diaries measuring positive affect, negative affect, work hours, and health behaviors (snacking, smoking, exercise, alcohol, caffeine consumption) on work days over a 4-week period. In addition, measures of job demands, job control, and social support (iso-strain variables) were completed on 1 occasion. Multilevel random coefficient modeling was used to examine relationships between the