title: Work stress and health in Western European and post-communist countries: an East-West comparison study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is evidence that psychosocial factors at work influence the risk of poor health in Western societies, but little is known about the effect of work stress in the former communist countries. The aim of this paper is to compare the association of work stress with self-rated health in Western European and post-communist countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from four epidemiological studies were used: the HAPIEE study (Poland, Russia and the Czech Republic), the Hungarian Epidemiological Panel (Hungary), the Heinz Nixdorf Recall study (Germany) and the Whitehall II study (UK). The overall sample consisted of 18 494 male and female workers aged 35-65 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High effort-reward imbalance at work was associated with poor self-rated health. The adjusted odds ratios for the highest versus lowest quartile of the effort-reward ratio were 3.8 (95% CI 1.9 to 7.7) in Hungary, 3.6 (95% CI 2.3 to 5.7) in the Czech Republic, 2.5 (95% CI 1.5 to 4.1) in the UK, 2.3 (95% CI 1.6 to 3.5) in Germany, 1.5 (95% CI 1.0 to 2.1) in Poland and 1.4 (95% CI 1.1 to 1.8) in Russia. The differences in odds ratios between countries were statistically significant (p<0.05). A similar pattern was observed for the effect of overcommitment on poor health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association of effort-reward imbalance at work and of a high degree of work-related overcommitment with poor self-rated health was seen in all countries, but the size of the effects differed considerably. It does not appear that the effects in Eastern Europe are systematically stronger than in the West.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Semmelweis University, Nagyvarad ter 4, Budapest, Hungary H-1089. salgyon@net.sote.hu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Salavecz
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chandola
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pikhart
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dragano
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Siegrist
authors.forename: K-H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Jöckel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Erbel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pajak
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malyutina
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kubinova
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marmot
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bobak
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kopp
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016272:Occupational Health; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014937:Work / Q000523:psychology*
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