Job Strain, Overtime, Life Style, and Cardiovascular Risk in Managers and Physical Workers

The purpose of the study was to determine the relation between overtime, job strain and life style, and cardiovascular risk (CVR) in 97 managers and 98 physical workers. CVR was measured with the Framingham method. Information about job strain, overtime, life style and extra-occupational activities was obtained with a self-administered questionnaire. The results showed that both groups had a similar, medium-level job stress. Being a manager and having extra-occupational activities (self-education) were significantly related with CVR (p = .000, p = .035, respectively), whereas other factors that were analysed (i.e., physical work and overtime) were not. The managers were older than the physical workers; that may be why the factor of being a manager was significantly related to CVR. The extra-occupational activities connected with improving workers' skills may play an important role in the development of workers' overload and an increase in CVR.