title: Job strain and resting heart rate: a cross-sectional study in a Swedish random working sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Numerous studies have reported an association between stressing work conditions and cardiovascular disease. However, more evidence is needed, and the etiological mechanisms are unknown. Elevated resting heart rate has emerged as a possible risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but little is known about the relation to work-related stress. This study therefore investigated the association between job strain, job control, and job demands and resting heart rate.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional survey of randomly selected men and women in Västra Götalandsregionen, Sweden (West county of Sweden) (n = 1552). Information about job strain, job demands, job control, heart rate and covariates was collected during the period 2001-2004 as part of the INTERGENE/ADONIX research project. Six different linear regression models were used with adjustments for gender, age, BMI, smoking, education, and physical activity in the fully adjusted model. Job strain was operationalized as the log-transformed ratio of job demands over job control in the statistical analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No associations were seen between resting heart rate and job demands. Job strain was associated with elevated resting heart rate in the unadjusted model (linear regression coefficient 1.26, 95 % CI 0.14 to 2.38), but not in any of the extended models. Low job control was associated with elevated resting heart rate after adjustments for gender, age, BMI, and smoking (linear regression coefficient -0.18, 95 % CI -0.30 to -0.02). However, there were no significant associations in the fully adjusted model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low job control and job strain, but not job demands, were associated with elevated resting heart rate. However, the observed associations were modest and may be explained by confounding effects.
authors.affiliation: Section of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 414, S-405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden. peter.eriksson87@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.affiliation: Section of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 414, S-405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden. linus.schioler@amm.gu.se.
authors.forename: Linus
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schiöler
authors.affiliation: Section of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 414, S-405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden. mia.soderberg@amm.gu.se.
authors.forename: Mia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Söderberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Su Sahlgrenska, 4135 45, Gothenburg, Sweden. annika.rosengren@gu.se.
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosengren
authors.affiliation: Section of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 414, S-405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden. kjell.toren@amm.gu.se.
authors.forename: Kjell
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Torén
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult