The sense of coherence, occupation and all-cause mortality in the Helsinki Heart Study.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that people with a strong sense of coherence (SOC) have decreased all-cause mortality.


METHODS
The effect of occupation and the SOC on all-cause mortality was studied among 4405 Finnish middle-aged employed men in a prospective 8-year follow-up study.


RESULTS
Using Cox proportional hazards models the crude relative risk for all-cause mortality for the low SOC tertile when compared to the high SOC tertile was 1.23 (95% CI: 0.90-1.68). Adjusting for age, smoking, alcohol and occupation increased the risk slightly to 1.35. Occupation was an effect modifier, since among white-collar workers the corresponding relative risk of the low SOC tertile was 2.27 (95% CI: 1.12-4.59, p = 0.02) and among blue-collar workers the relative risk for all-cause mortality was stable (1.33-1.52) in each SOC tertile. The classic risk factors, smoking and alcohol, showed higher relative risks than the SOC.


CONCLUSIONS
The effect of the health-promoting qualities of the SOC upon all-cause mortality was significant among white-collar workers, but not among blue-collar workers.
Poppius
E
E
Helsinki Heart Study, Epidemiology Unit, Tampere School of Public Health, University of Tampere, FIN-33014 Finland. esko.poppius@uta.fi
Tenkanen
L
L
Hakama
M
M
Kalimo
R
R
Pitkänen
T
T
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015248:Gemfibrozil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D016272:Occupational Health; D009790:Occupations / Q000145:classification*; D011322:Primary Prevention; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D015248:Gemfibrozil