Relationship between self-reported mental stressors at the workplace and salivary cortisol.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between work stress measures and salivary cortisol excretion in working and weekend days.


METHODS
In a sample of 68 healthy young call-centre operators dimensions of job stress from the demand-control model were related to repeated measures of salivary cortisol on seven samples (at awakening, +30 min, +60 min, + 3 h, +6 h, +9 h, and +12 h after awakening) at two working days and a weekend day.


RESULTS
The cortisol excretion on work days was higher than during weekend day with gender-specific differences as women only showed higher significant values for area under the curve (AUC(G)) and Diurnal cycle (chi(2) (2) = 8.10, P < 0.05; chi(2) (2) = 15.75, P < 0.05, respectively). There were no associations between job demand, job control and cortisol excretion, while the sociodemographic characteristics of the call-centre operators showed linear relation with the diurnal pattern of cortisol secretory activity.


CONCLUSIONS
The hypothalamic-pituitary adrenocortical axis activation was higher in working day than in weekend day. This activation measured by salivary cortisol was not related to self-reported mental stressors assessed with job strain model. The availability of more specific psychometric scales would be useful to explore the relationship between salivary cortisol levels and measures of mental stress at workplace.
Maina
Giovanni
G
Dipartimento di Traumatologia, Ortopedia e Medicina del Lavoro, Università di Torino, Via Zuretti 29, 10126 Torino, Italy. giovanni.maina@unito.it
Palmas
Antonio
A
Filon
Francesca Larese
FL
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D019540:Area Under Curve; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis*; D009790:Occupations; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*
D006854:Hydrocortisone
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