title: Job Strain, Occupational Category, Systolic Blood Pressure, and Hypertension Prevalence: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess associations of occupational categories and job characteristics with prevalent hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed 2517 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants, working 20+ hours per week, in 2002 to 2004.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher job decision latitude was associated with a lower prevalence of hypertension, prevalence ratio = 0.78 (95% confidence interval 0.66 to 0.91) for the top versus bottom quartile of job decision latitude. Associations, however, differed by occupation: decision latitude was associated with a higher prevalence of hypertension in health care support occupations (interaction P = 0.02). Occupation modified associations of sex with hypertension: a higher prevalence of hypertension in women (vs men) was observed in health care support and in blue-collar occupations (interaction P = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower job decision latitude is associated with hypertension prevalence in many occupations. Further research is needed to determine reasons for differential impact of decision latitude and sex on hypertension across occupations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (Dr Landsbergis, Mr Koutsouras), State University of New York Downstate School of Public Health, Brooklyn; School of Public Health (Dr Diez-Roux), Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies (Dr Fujishiro), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio; Barry Commoner Center for Health and the Environment (Dr Baron), Queens College, New York; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (Dr Kaufman), University of Washington, Seattle; Department of Preventive Medicine (Dr Meyer), Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Department of Medicine (Dr Shimbo), Columbia University, New York; Department of Biostatistics (Ms Shrager), University of Washington, Seattle; and Department of Epidemiology (Dr Szklo), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Landsbergis
authors.forename: Ana V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Diez-Roux
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujishiro
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: Joel D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koutsouras
authors.forename: Daichi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shimbo
authors.forename: Sandi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shrager
authors.forename: Karen Hinckley
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Stukovsky
authors.forename: Moyses
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szklo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009790:Occupations; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology