title: Concentrations of sodium, potassium and cortisol in saliva, and self-reported chronic work stress factors.
abstract: One hundred and fifteen electronics factory employees completed questionnaires relevant to work stress, and gave unstimulated saliva samples. As previously found, Perceived Coping Incapacity correlated very significantly with self-reported emotional upset and psychosomatic complaints. Salivary [Na+] correlated significantly with Perceived Coping Incapacity (rho = -0.30, p < 0.01), and also with emotional upset (rho = -0.19, p < 0.05). Raised [K+] tended to be associated with reduced fatigue (rho = -0.21, p < 0.05) and lower self-medication (rho = -0.21, p < 0.05) together with a greater perceived personal work responsibility (rho = 0.19, p < 0.05)-all consistent with the perception of work demands as positive challenges rather than stressors. Self-reported fatigue and emotional upset at work gave higher correlations with [K+] and [Na+] than either did on its own. Salivary [cortisol] was uncorrelated with self-reported work stress indices, and with [K+] and [Na+].
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hinton
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Neilson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Beastall
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D011603:Psychophysiology; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism*; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium; D006854:Hydrocortisone