title: Stressful working conditions and poor self-rated health among financial services employees.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the association between exposure to adverse psychosocial working conditions and poor self-rated health among bank employees.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study including a sample of 2,054 employees of a government bank was conducted in 2008. Self-rated health was assessed by a single question: "In general, would you say your health is (...)." Exposure to adverse psychosocial working conditions was evaluated by the effort-reward imbalance model and the demand-control model. Information on other independent variables was obtained through a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed and odds ratio calculated to assess independent associations between adverse psychosocial working conditions and poor self-rated health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of poor self-rated health was 9%, with no significant gender difference. Exposure to high demand and low control environment at work was associated with poor self-rated health. Employees with high effort-reward imbalance and overcommitment also reported poor self-rated health, with a dose-response relationship. Social support at work was inversely related to poor self-rated health, with a dose-response relationship.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposure to adverse psychosocial work factors assessed based on the effort-reward imbalance model and the demand-control model is independently associated with poor self-rated health among the workers studied.
authors.affiliation: Depto Medicina Preventiva e Social, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. luizsergios@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Luiz Sérgio
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Sandhi Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Barreto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016272:Occupational Health; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult