title: Health Behaviors and Overweight in Nursing Home Employees: Contribution of Workplace Stressors and Implications for Worksite Health Promotion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many worksite health promotion programs ignore the potential influence of working conditions on unhealthy behaviors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A study of nursing home employees (56% nursing aides) utilized a standardized questionnaire. We analyzed the cross-sectional associations between workplace stressors and obesity, cigarette smoking, and physical inactivity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1506 respondents, 20% reported exposure to three or more workplace stressors (physical or organizational), such as lifting heavy loads, low decision latitude, low coworker support, regular night work, and physical assault. For each outcome, the prevalence ratio was between 1.5 and 2 for respondents with four or five job stressors. Individuals under age 40 had stronger associations between workplace stressors and smoking and obesity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Workplace stressors were strongly associated with smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity, even among the lowest-status workers. Current working conditions affected younger workers more than older workers. Although this study is cross-sectional, it has other strengths, including the broad range of work stressors studied. Strenuous physical work and psychosocial strain are common among low-wage workers such as nursing home aides. Workplace health promotion programs may be more effective if they include measures to reduce stressful work environment features, so that working conditions support rather than interfere with employee health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Work Environment & Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace (CPH-NEW), University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA ; School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.affiliation: Department of Work Environment & Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace (CPH-NEW), University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Gore
authors.affiliation: Department of Work Environment & Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace (CPH-NEW), University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA ; Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Work Environment & Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace (CPH-NEW), University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nobrega
authors.affiliation: Department of Work Environment & Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace (CPH-NEW), University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Punnett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016272:Occupational Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*