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Effort–reward imbalance, cortisol secretion, and inflammatory activity in police officers with 24-h work shifts

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Abstract

Purpose

Accumulating evidence shows that effort–reward imbalance (ERI) at work can cause various health problems. However, few studies have investigated the biological pathways linking ERI and health outcomes, and their findings have been inconsistent. In this study, we investigated the associations between ERI, the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical axis, and inflammation in a sample of police officers.

Methods

One hundred forty-two male police officers that were engaged in a working system of 24-h shifts were followed up during the work shift as well as during the two subsequent work-free days. Throughout this period, the participants provided two saliva samples each day for the 3-day period, and we measured the concentrations of cortisol and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the saliva. The police officers also completed the Japanese short version of the Effort–Reward Imbalance Questionnaire.

Results

The results of linear mixed model analyses controlled for possible confounding variables indicated that higher effort scores (p = 0.031) as well as effort–reward ratio (p = 0.080) were associated with lower cortisol levels, and the effect of effort was strengthened in the younger police officers (p = 0.017). Furthermore, higher effort scores were associated with higher CRP levels in younger police officers (p = 0.037).

Conclusions

Our results indicate that effort, a component of ERI, has physiological effects in younger police officers, which possibly contribute to the development of stress-related diseases.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a research grant from the Japan Police Meaningful Life Promotion Foundation.

Funding

This study was supported by a research grant from the Japan Police Meaningful Life Promotion Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Administration and Psychosocial Factor Research Group (S.I.), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, 6-21-1 Nagao, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8585, Japan

    Shuhei Izawa

  2. Department of Public Health (A.T.), Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan

    Akizumi Tsutsumi

  3. Advanced Research Center for Human Sciences (N.O.), Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan

    Namiko Ogawa

Authors
  1. Shuhei Izawa
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  2. Akizumi Tsutsumi
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Correspondence to Shuhei Izawa.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in this study.

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Izawa, S., Tsutsumi, A. & Ogawa, N. Effort–reward imbalance, cortisol secretion, and inflammatory activity in police officers with 24-h work shifts. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 89, 1147–1154 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-016-1154-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-016-1154-2

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