Psychosocial and clinical risk factor profiles in managers.
OBJECTIVE
Over the past 10 years the IAS Foundation has performed more than 15,000 PREVENT check-ups on managers. In addition to a comprehensive clinical program of preventive examinations, the main emphasis is placed on extensive counseling. This counseling centres not only on personal behaviour patterns affecting the individual's health, but also on the psychomental capabilities of the patient within the context of the psychosocial stresses in managerial positions.


METHODS
Three cross-sectional studies examined: (1) the major cardiovascular risk factors (n = 974), (2) the psychosocial structure (n = 2,800) and (3) the relationships between clinical risk factors and psychological structural features (n = 200).


RESULTS
According to expectations, managers showed somewhat lower cardiovascular risk levels than did other professional groups. However, nearly 70% of them reported various unspecific, psychovegetative complaints. Managers were subdivided into four psychological types, each representing roughly one quarter of the series: Type 1: anxiety, tension (20.5%); Type 2: repression, lack of self-control (22.2%); Type 3: challenge, ambition, self-control (27.6%); Type 4: healthy living, with self-control (29.7%). Type 3 resembles most closely classic type A behaviour and is seen in a good quarter of the overall cohort. This may indicate that not only people showing type A behaviour are predestined to occupy managerial positions, but that people with a type B structure also take up managerial positions. It is, however, in particular the type B behavioural patterns that are also associated with increased psychovegetative complaints. The relationships between psychosocial structural variables and clinical risk factors such as hypercholesteremia and high blood pressure are not very strong.


CONCLUSIONS
Occupational health measures in organisations should also be established for managers, as they present an important employee group within the enterprise. In addition to examining them for cardiovascular risks, counseling and coaching programmes on preventive measures and recommended behaviour at work should be a primary concern.
Kentner
M
M
IAS Institute of Occupational and Social Hygiene Foundation, Karlsruhe, Germany. m.kentner@ias-stiftung.de
Ciré
L
L
Scholl
J
J
D000288:Administrative Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D010553:Personality Development; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology