title: Work engagement and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels among Japanese workers: a 1-year prospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evidence on the association between psychological well-being and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels is limited. We carried out a prospective study to investigate the association between work engagement and hs-CRP levels in a group of Japanese workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our cohort included 1,857 men and 657 women aged 65 and under, and free from major illness, working at two manufacturing worksites in Japan. Baseline examinations were conducted from April to June 2011 to determine the demographic and lifestyle characteristics and levels of work engagement. Blood samples were obtained from participants at baseline and after 1 year. Participants were classified into tertiles of low, moderate, and high work engagement at baseline. Hs-CRP levels were split into low (≤3.0 mg/L) and high (>3.0 mg/L). We used multiple logistic regression analyses to evaluate the association between work engagement at baseline and hs-CRP levels at follow-up, adjusting for hs-CRP at baseline and potential confounding factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants reporting moderate and high levels of work engagement at baseline had significantly lower odds ratios (ORs) of having high hs-CRP levels at follow-up than those with low levels of work engagement at baseline [OR of moderate level 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24-0.81; OR of high level 0.57, 95% CI 0.33-0.99; p for trend <0.05].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that work engagement has beneficial effects on workers' cardiovascular health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1, Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, 252-0374, Japan, eguchi-sgy@umin.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Akihito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shimazu
authors.forename: Norito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Akiomi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Akinori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: Akizumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D007564:Japan; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D066192:Manufacturing Industry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014937:Work / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein