Work satisfaction and health in the middle-aged and elderly.
BACKGROUND
There is evidence that occupational factors that cause psychological strain can affect physical and mental health, but findings are not consistent.


METHODS
Work satisfaction was used as a convenient global index of job-related psychological strain. Relationships with general, physical and emotional health, appraised by the use of questions, were examined in workers aged > or = 50 years in a longitudinal community health study in Jerusalem.


RESULTS
Positive associations were found both in 1975-1976 and in 1985-1987, with age, origin, education, sex and other variables controlled. The odds ratio in favour of poor general health was 2.8 times as high in dissatisfied workers as in very satisfied ones. Multivariate analyses suggested that the associations were not spurious ones attributable to a proneness to report both dissatisfaction and ill-health. Workers who expressed dissatisfaction in both 1975-1976 and 1985-1987 were particularly unhealthy in 1985-1987.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings support the impact of work satisfaction or its determinants on current health, and suggest that persistent dissatisfaction may be especially deleterious to health.
Abramson
J H
JH
Department of Social Medicine, Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel.
Gofin
J
J
Habib
J
J
Noam
G
G
Kark
J D
JD
D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D016017:Odds Ratio; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires