Relationships among type A behavior, employment experiences, and gender: the Minnesota Heart Survey.
Previous studies indicate that Type A behavior is more prevalent among men than women. This sex difference may reflect variations in men's and women's job experiences, some of which may act as catalysts for Type A behavior. This study examines the relationship of Type A behavior (measured by the Jenkins Activity Survey) to men's and women's work hours, occupational mobility, and job-related interactions, using data from a population-based survey of 2512 employed men and women conducted in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, between 1980 and 1982. Among both sexes, Type A behavior is related to long work hours, high occupational mobility, and nonsupportive interactions with co-workers, all job experiences more common for men than for women. No sex differences are found in the relationships between Type A behavior and these job experiences. Also, no sex difference is observed in the unadjusted Type A scores or in these scores when either age, education, or marital status is taken into account. The expected direction of the sex difference in Type A behavior is reversed when work hours are controlled: women have a higher Type A score than men when work hours are considered.
Sorensen
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G
Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester 01605.
Jacobs
D R
DR
Pirie
P
P
Folsom
A
A
Luepker
R
R
Gillum
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002322:Career Mobility; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014434:Type A Personality