title: Job characteristics, occupational status, and ambulatory cardiovascular activity in women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prior research concerning the effects of occupational status and work stress on ambulatory blood pressure (AmBP) has seldom included women, and available results are equivocal. Moreover, the concurrent effects of occupational status and job characteristics have rarely been investigated. Some research is consistent with the idea that stressful job characteristics are especially detrimental to health in low-status workers, creating a cumulative physiological burden.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the independent and joint effects of occupational status and perceived demands, control, and social support at work on AmBP and heart rate (HR) in women.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred eight women (M age = 41.07 years) wore an AmBP monitor for 2 days and completed a self-report assessment of job control, demands, and support (i.e., Karesek et al.'s Job Content Questionnaire).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After controlling for numerous potential confounds, occupational status and job characteristics accounted for 18% and 22% of the inter-individual variability in ambulatory systolic blood pressure (SBP) and HR, respectively. Occupational status independently predicted ambulatory cardiovascular activity and interacted with job characteristics, particularly in relation to SBP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inasmuch as ambulatory SBP and HR predict future cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, women with both lower status occupations and stressful job circumstances could be at disproportionately high cardiovascular risk.
authors.affiliation: SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University, CA 92120, USA. lcgallo@sciences.sdsu.edu
authors.forename: Linda C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: Laura M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Bogart
authors.forename: Ana-Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Vranceanu
authors.forename: Lisa C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Walt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007587:Job Description; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D009790:Occupations; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*