Gaby
A team from the University of Quebec (Canada) has discovered that stressful jobs with low rewards are twice as likely to cause heart problems in men. By “low rewards,” the researchers refer not only to meager salaries but also to a lack of recognition for employees and a constant fear of job loss. Interestingly, the scientists did not find the same connection in women.
Previous studies have separately examined the impact of these two factors on heart health. However, this time, the researchers focused on their combined effects, paying particular attention to the imbalance between the effort expended in stressful work and the rewards received.
The new study, which lasted 18.7 years, involved employees of various ranks and profiles, from top managers to ordinary “white-collar” workers and technical staff. In total, the team included 3,118 men and 3,347 women.
It turned out that men who exert significant effort for minimal rewards are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular diseases. This means that the impact on the health of this vital organ is comparable to that of obesity.
What Scientists Discovered
By regularly responding to test questions, the men were divided into several groups, as reported by New Atlas. Volunteers in the first group reported either work-related stress or low rewards for their efforts. Among these participants, the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases was found to be 49 percent higher than in men who did not experience the effects of these factors on their health.
Participants in another group, who complained about both work-related stress and a lack of rewards, faced heart health issues twice as often (103 percent).
Similar testing was conducted simultaneously with women. However, in their cases, stress and the absence of adequate rewards were not key health disruptors for their hearts.
According to the lead author of the study, Dr. Mathilde Lavin-Robichaux, employees in the workplace often encounter a combination of high demands and inadequate recognition. High demands refer to heavy workloads, tight deadlines, and numerous responsibilities. When an employee puts in maximum effort but feels they are not receiving appropriate rewards, a so-called “effort-reward imbalance” arises.
The researcher believes that studying the relationship between the lack of rewards for hard work and cardiovascular diseases is crucial for public health and employee well-being. The scientists’ mission includes developing recommendations for employers to eliminate stressful working conditions and create a healthy work environment.
The research team also noted a limitation: the study was confined to Canadian employees. However, the scientists expressed hope that the findings would not significantly differ from those that would be obtained in the U.S. or other high-income countries with similar employment structures.
The conclusions of the study were published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
