Effects of work overload and burnout on cholesterol and triglycerides levels: The moderating efffects of emotional reactivity among male and female employees.

The effects of objective and subjective overload, and of physical and emotional burnout, on cholesterol and triglycerides levels were studied in a quasiprospective design. The possible moderating effects of emotional reactivity on these relationships were also investigated. The study's hypotheses were tested separately for male and female employees. Time I (T1) data were collected from 665 healthy employees (30% women) while they were undergoing periodic health examinations in a health-screening center Time 2 (T2) measures of cholesterol and triglycerides were collected 2 to 3 years after T1. The hypotheses were tested by regressing each T2 criterion on its T1 level; the control variables of age, obesity, diet, alcohol consumption, and smoking; and the other predictors. For female employees, the T2-T1 changes in the serum lipids were positively predicted by emotional burnout, as expected, but negatively predicted by physical fatigue. For male employees, both types of T1 burnout were positive predictors of the T2-T1 change in total cholesterol. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Are body dissatisfaction, eating disturbance, and body mass index predictors of suicidal behavior in adolescents? A longitudinal study.

Disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, and obesity have been associated cross sectionally with suicidal behavior in adolescents. To determine the extent to which these variables predicted suicidal ideation and attempts, the authors examined these relationships in a longitudinal design. The study population included 2,516 older adolescents and young adults who completed surveys for Project EAT-II (Time 2), a 5-year follow-up study of adolescents who had taken part in Project EAT (Time 1). Odds ratios for suicidal behaviors at Time 2 were estimated with multiple logistic regression. Predictor variables included Time 1 extreme and unhealthy weight control behaviors (EWCB and UWCB), body dissatisfaction, and body mass index percentile. Suicidal ideation was reported by 15.2% of young men and 21.6% of young women, and suicide attempts were reported by 3.5% of young men and 8.7% of young women. For young women, suicidal ideation at Time 2 was predicted by Time 1 EWCB. The odds ratio for suicide attempts was similarly elevated in young women who had reported EWCB at Time 1. These odds ratios for both suicidal ideation and suicide attempts remained elevated even after controlling for Time 2 depressive symptoms. In young men, EWCB was not associated with suicidal ideation or suicide attempts 5 years later. Body mass index and body dissatisfaction did not predict suicidal ideation or suicide attempts in young men or young women. These results emphasize the importance of EWCB. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Elevated burnout predicts the onset of musculoskeletal pain among apparently healthy employees.

Musculoskeletal (MS) pain is highly prevalent in the working population, often resulting in chronic disability. Burnout represents accumulated exposure to work-related stresses and therefore could predict the incidence of MS pain. We investigated prospectively the extent to which changes in the levels of burnout over time predict new cases of MS pain. Participants were 1,704 apparently healthy employed men and women who underwent periodic health examination at three points of time (T1, T2, and T3), over a period of about three years. We used the T1 to T2 changes in the levels of burnout, depressive symptoms, and anxiety to predict the onset of new cases of MS pain between T2 and T3, while controlling for possible confounders. Logistic regression results indicated that the T1–T2 change in burnout levels was associated with a 2.09-fold increased risk of MS pain (95% confidence interval = 1.07–4.10). No support was found for the possibility of reverse causation; that is, that MS pain predicts subsequent elevations of burnout levels. It was concluded that burnout might be a risk factor in the development of MS pain in apparently healthy individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Association Between Burnout, Depression, Anxiety, and Inflammation Biomarkers: C-Reactive Protein and Fibrinogen in Men and Women.

Following the demonstrated association of employee burnout or vital exhaustion with several risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD risk, the authors investigated the possibility that one of the mechanisms linking burnout with CVD morbidity is microinflammation, gauged in this study by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and fibrinogen concentrations. Their sample included 630 women and 933 men, all apparently healthy, who underwent periodic health examinations. The authors controlled for possible confounders including 2 other negative affective states: depression and anxiety. In women, burnout was positively associated with hs-CRP and fibrinogen concentrations, and anxiety was negatively associated with them. In men, depression was positively associated with hs-CRP and fibrinogen concentrations, but not with burnout or anxiety. Thus, burnout, depression, and anxiety are differentially associated with microinflammation biomarkers, dependent on gender. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-fulfilling prophecy and gender: Can women be Pygmalion and Galatea?

To date, all published confirmations of the Pygmalion hypothesis among adults have involved men. The few studies among women have had methodological ambiguities. The authors conducted 2 experiments in the Israel Defense Forces to test the Pygmalion hypothesis among women. In both studies, the leaders were led to believe that the trainees randomly assigned to the Pygmalion condition had higher than usual potential. Experiment 1 tested the Pygmalion hypothesis among female officer cadets led by women. Although the treatment did raise expectations, none of the performance measures and none of the mediators or the moderators evidenced any expectancy effects. Experiment 2 tested the Pygmalion hypothesis among women and men taking the same course in gender-segregated platoons. The Pygmalion hypothesis was confirmed among men led by a man and among women led by a man but not among women led by a woman. The authors concluded that the Pygmalion effect can be produced among women but perhaps not by women. Pygmalion research among women leading men is now needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Incidence of NIDDM and the effects of gender, obesity and hyperinsulinaemia in Taiwan

Our aim is to determine non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) incidence in Taiwan and examine its relation to obesity and hyperinsulinaemia in Chinese men and women. A total of 995 men and 1195 women aged 35-74 years free from diabetes in two townships in Taiwan were followed up with a second examination. At baseline general and metabolic data were recorded, and detailed anthropometric parameters and plasma glucose and insulin were assessed. World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria of fasting glucose 7.8 mmol/l or greater was utilized for defining diabetes. The age-standardized incidence rate based on the United States population in 1970 was 9.3/1000 (CI 5.8-12.8) in men and 9.3/1000 (CI 6.2-12.4) in women and the based on the WHO population in 1976 was 8.9/1000 (CI .5-12.3) in men and 8.9/1000 (CI 5.9-11.9) in women for the Chinese who had a mean BMI slightly greater than 24 (kg/m2). The predictability of the plasma glucose level was greater than that of the insulin level and the obesity indices. NIDDM incidence increased approximately threefold with each 0.67 mmol/l increase in plasma glucose level in men and women. The present study demonstrated the essential relationship of not only BMI but also central obesity indices (such as subscapular and waist circumference) to the incidence of NIDDM among men and women and a stronger relationship between NIDDM incidence and obesity in women than in men. The predictive effects of obesity indices and fasting plasma insulin values on NIDDM risk were independent of each other in men. Obesity and hyperinsulinaemia each without the presence of the other can lead to an increased risk of NIDDM. In women the NIDDM incidence increased more than additively in those with both obesity and hyperinsulinaemia compared to those with single obesity or hyperinsulinaemia. A slightly higher incidence of NIDDM in Taiwan than in western countries was found. The importance of obesity is indicated for predicting NIDDM in the community. Hyperinsulinaemia was found to play a significant role in predicting NIDDM incidence independent of obesity in men and synergistically with obesity in women.     

Aroused versus calm positive affects as predictors of lipids.

Objective: The authors hypothesized that high-pleasure low-arousal (HPLA) would predict a subsequent decrease of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TRI), as well as a subsequent increase of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). The authors also hypothesized that high-pleasure high-arousal (HPHA) would have the opposite effects on these blood lipids, predicting a subsequent increase of LDL-C and TRI, and a decrease of HDL-C. Design: Participants were 990 male and 595 female apparently healthy employees who underwent a routine periodic health examination at two points in time, Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2), about 24 months apart. Data were analyzed separately for the men and women, and the authors controlled for possible confounders shown in past research to be implicated with hyperlipidemia. Main Outcome Measures: HPHA and HPLA were assessed based on the Job-Related Affective Well-Being Scale, while LDL-C, TRI, and HDL-C were assessed based on fasting blood samples. Results: For the men, support for our hypotheses was found relative to HDL-C and TRI. The authors did not find support for our hypotheses for thee women. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that for men, the two types of positive affects may have opposite physiological consequences with respect to subsequent changes in blood lipid levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Body mass and social class: a comparison of Finland and Sweden in the 1990s

High physical weight affects public health as well as people's social relations. This study seeks to examine the distribution of physical weight across the social structure in Finland and Sweden in the early 1990s. We compare physical weight, classified by overweight and obesity, 1) between men and women, 2) between different age groups, and 3) between social classes in these two countries. Comparable interview surveys were conducted in Finland 1994 (N = 8,650, response rate 73%) and in Sweden 1991 (N = 5,306, response rate 79%). Physical weight, overweight and obesity of populations are described in terms of body mass index (BMI = weight (kg)/height (m2)). The average BMI is higher in Finnish men (25.6) and women (24.6) than in their Swedish counterparts (24.6 and 23.2, respectively). In both countries, the average BMI is higher in men than in women below the age of about 55-64 years. In both countries and in both genders the average BMI is higher, the higher the age. The level of overweight as well as obesity is lower in Sweden than in Finland. Social class differences can be found in both countries. The odds ratio for overweight is higher in Finnish male and female farmers (OR = 1.57 and 1.94, respectively) as compared to upper white collars (OR = 1.0). In Sweden, high odds ratio for overweight can be found among male entrepreneurs (OR = 1.80) and female unskilled manuals (OR = 2.65). Obesity varies by social class in Swedish men and women as well as in Finnish women, but not in Finnish men. The results show that Finnish men and women are more often overweight and obese than their Swedish counterparts, but social class differences in overweight and obesity are larger in Sweden than in Finland.     

Take care! The evaluation of a team-based burnout intervention program for oncology care providers.

In this quasi-experimental study among staff of 29 oncology wards, the authors evaluated the effects of a team-based burnout intervention program combining a staff support group with a participatory action research approach. Nine wards were randomly selected to participate in the program. Before the program started (Time 1), directly after the program ended (Time 2), and 6 months later (Time 3), study participants filled out a questionnaire on their work situation and well-being. Results of multilevel analyses showed that staff in the experimental wards experienced significantly less emotional exhaustion at both Time 2 and Time 3 and less depersonalization at Time 2, compared with the control wards. Moreover, changes in burnout levels were significantly related to changes in the perception of job characteristics over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A longitudinal study of coping and gender in a female-dominated occupation: Predicting teachers’ burnout.

This study investigates the role of gender in the benefits of coping (direct action and social support seeking) on the core dimensions of burnout (exhaustion and cynicism) using a longitudinal design. Specifically, the study examined these relationships on teachers, which is typically a female-dominated occupation. Data were gathered during the first term and again during the last term of the academic year. The Time 2 sample was composed of 141 male and 303 female teachers from 100 Spanish primary and secondary schools. Lagged and concurrent longitudinal designs were tested using random coefficient models. Concurrent interactive effects of gender in the relationship among coping strategies and cynicism as well as exhaustion were found. Direct action coping was beneficial only for men. Social support seeking coping was not beneficial for women; moreover, it was found to be detrimental for men. These results were in accord with previous studies confirming the coping-gender match hypothesis. Implications of these results and their significance for practical interventions in the work stress field are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender and the relationship between perceived fairness of pay or promotion and job satisfaction.

J. Brockner and L. Adsit (1986) found that satisfaction with an exchange relationship was more strongly related to perceptions of equity among men than women. A. Kahn (1972) reported that men were more likely than women to distribute outcomes to individuals in direct proportion to their input. The authors evaluated potential gender differences among 12,979 personnel in 30 different organizational systems in (1) correlations between fairness and job satisfaction scores and (2) standardized group differences in the perceived amounts of pay and promotion fairness and expressed levels of facet and global job satisfaction. The fairness–satisfaction relationship was not higher for men, and there were no practical differences in fairness perceptions and job satisfaction between men and women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender, Neuroticism, and Emotional Expressivity: Effects on Spousal Constraints Among Individuals With Cancer.

The authors prospectively tested the hypothesis that emotional expressivity would moderate the predictive relationship between patient neuroticism and spousal constraints among 120 individuals with cancer. The authors also examined whether patient gender further moderated the hypothesized relationships. After we controlled for Time 1 constraints, results revealed a significant emotional Expressivity × Neuroticism effect on Time 2 spousal constraints. This moderator effect was qualified by a significant Gender × Emotional Expressivity × Neuroticism effect, such that neuroticism predicted the greatest levels of spousal constraints among female but not male patients reporting higher levels of emotional expressivity. Thus, female, but not male, patients who report the tendency to both experience and express high levels of distress appear most likely to trigger constraints from their spouses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Work-family conflict and burnout among practicing psychologists.

Research has found that men and women psychologists experience burnout differentially depending on the work setting. A total of 497 psychologists responded to a survey designed to replicate this finding and to investigate the role of work-family conflict in contributing to this difference. Results failed to replicate gender differences in levels of burnout according to work setting. In general, the overall pattern of results was the same for men and women. Findings indicated that family support was important for well-being at work and that conflict between work and family domains was associated with burnout. Mediational models indicated that work-family conflict and family-work conflict can help researchers understand the process by which resources or demands in work and family domains influence burnout at work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Movie exposure to alcohol cues and adolescent alcohol problems: A longitudinal analysis in a national sample.

The authors tested a theoretical model of how exposure to alcohol cues in movies predicts level of alcohol use (ever use plus ever and recent binge drinking) and alcohol-related problems. A national sample of younger adolescents was interviewed by telephone with 4 repeated assessments spaced at 8-month intervals. A structural equation modeling analysis performed for ever-drinkers at Time 3 (N = 961) indicated that, controlling for a number of covariates, movie alcohol exposure at Time 1 was related to increases in peer alcohol use and adolescent alcohol use at Time 2. Movie exposure had indirect effects to alcohol use and problems at Times 3 and 4 through these pathways, with direct effects to problems from Time 1 rebelliousness and Time 2 movie exposure also found. Prospective risk-promoting effects were also found for alcohol expectancies, peer alcohol use, and availability of alcohol in the home; protective effects were found for mother's responsiveness and for adolescent's school performance and self-control. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Study of serum alanine-aminotransferase levels in blood donors in Spain

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Serum alanine-aminotransferase (ALT) is being used as a surrogate test for preventing post-transfusion viral hepatitis. However, ALT elevation is influenced by many factors. We have studied ALT levels in 1,036 consecutive blood donors to determine their association with gender, obesity, and hepatitis virus infection markers. DESIGN AND METHODS: In each donation aspartate-aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (gamma GT) activity were also determined and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. RESULTS: Five hundred seventy-nine men and 457 women donated blood; ALT activity was 25.3 +/- 14.5 IU/L (mean +/- SD) for men and 16.3 +/- 7.9 IU/L for women (p < or = 0.0005). The upper normal value for men was 56 IU/L and 34 IU/L for women. On applying this value to the study group 4.8% of the men and 2% of the women had values greater than the cutoff. Among the men with increased ALT levels, 53.5% had a BMI > 27, 7.1% also had an increased level of GGT and 7.1% had increased levels of AST and LDH. None of them were HBsAg nor anti-HCV positive. Among the women with increased ALT, 33.3% had BMI > 27, 33.3% had increased levels of LDH and AST, and 11.1% were anti-HCV positive (only 1 donor). INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: It seems clear that different cutoff values should be considered for men and women. Factors such as obesity, may account for more than 50% of the cases with increased ALT values, indicating the low specificity of the test.     

Current zinc intake and risk of diabetes and coronary artery disease and factors associated with insulin resistance in rural and urban populations of North India

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between current zinc intake and prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and diabetes as well as factors associated with insulin resistance. DESIGN, SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In this cross sectional survey, 3575 subjects, aged 25 to 64 years, including 1769 rural (894 men. 875 women) and 1806 urban (904 men, 902 women) subjects were studied. The survey methods included questionnaires for 7-day food intake record, physical examination, and electrocardiography using World Health Organization criteria. RESULTS: The prevalence of CAD, diabetes and glucose intolerance was significantly higher among subjects consuming lower intakes of dietary zinc. There was a higher prevalence of hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels which showed significant upward trend with lower zinc intakes. Serum lipoprotein (a) and 2-hour plasma insulin levels also were associated with low zinc intake. Multivariate logistic regression analysis after adjustment for age showed that zinc intake and CAD were inversely associated. Serum zinc (odds ratio:men 0.77, women 0.57), serum triglycerides (men 0.86, women 0.81), blood pressure (0.83 men, women 0.76), diabetes mellitus (men 0.90, women 0.85), central obesity (men 0.88, women 0.87), glucose intolerance (men 0.66, women 0.57) and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (men 0.72, women 0.70) were significant risk factors for CAD (explained by tertiles of zinc status) in urban subjects. These associations were not observed in rural subjects. CONCLUSION: Lower consumption of dietary zinc and low serum zinc levels were associated with an increased prevalence of CAD and diabetes and several of their associated risk factors including hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia and other factors suggestive of mild insulin resistance in urban subjects.     

Bulimia and interpersonal relationships: A longitudinal study.

We assessed changes in bulimia in female college students and changes in the relation between bulimia and interpersonal relationships with women and men. A measure of bulimia (BULIT) of M. C. Smith and M. H. Thelen (see record 1985-02946-001) was taken at Time 1, after a 7-month interval (Time 2), and again after a 12-month interval (Time 3). Measures of interpersonal relationships with women and men were taken at Time 2 and Time 3. Three groups were constituted on the basis of BULIT scores at Time 1: bulimic, subclinical bulimic (Ss who tested just under the cutoff for bulimia), and normal. Ss who tested bulimic or normal at Time 1 tended to continue to do so. In contrast, the subclinical bulimic group endorsed less bulimic symptomatology over time. There were strong negative correlations between the BULIT and ratings of interpersonal relationships with men. The subclinical bulimics showed the greatest improvement over time in ratings of their relationships with men. Counselors may need to consider severity of bulimia and relationship issues during treatment planning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Workload, control, and social support effects on serum lipids: A longitudinal study among apparently healthy employed adults.

The authors investigated the direct and interactive effects of the job demand– control–support (JDC-S) model’s components on subsequent changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides (TRI) separately for male and female employees. In contrast to all 14 past studies on these relationships, the authors used a longitudinal design. Study participants (N = 1,137, 66% men) were all apparently healthy employees who underwent a routine health check at 2 points in time (Time 1 and Time 2) about 22 months apart. In these analyses, the authors controlled for the Time 1 level of each criterion and for other confounders. Most of the direct and moderating effects found did not support the predictions of the JDC-S model; this finding is in agreement with the majority of past cross-sectional studies. The authors did not find any evidence supporting the existence of a reverse causation for either of the components of the JDC-S model. The authors suggest that serum lipids may not be a physiological mechanism mediating the effects of the JDC-S model on atherosclerotic diseases. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What's good for the goose may not be as good for the gander: The benefits of self-monitoring for men and women in task groups and dyadic conflicts.

The authors posit that women can rely on self-monitoring to overcome negative gender stereotypes in certain performance contexts. In a study of mixed-sex task groups, the authors found that female group members who were high self-monitors were considered more influential and more valuable contributors than women who were low self-monitors. Men benefited relatively less from self-monitoring behavior. In an experimental study of dyadic negotiations, the authors found that women who were high self-monitors performed better than women who were low self-monitors, particularly when they were negotiating over a fixed pool of resources, whereas men did not benefit as much from self-monitoring. Further analyses suggest that high self-monitoring women altered their behavior in these negotiations--when their partner behaved assertively, they increased their level of assertiveness, whereas men and low self-monitoring women did not alter their behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)