Job strain, Type A behavior pattern, and the prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis in Japanese working men

• Published in: Journal of psychosomatic research Vol. 49; no. 1; pp. 77 - 83
• Main Authors: Yoshimasu, Kouichi, Liu, Ying, Kodama, Hiroko, Sasazuki, Shizuka, Washio, Masakazu, Tanaka, Keitaro, Tokunaga, Shoji, Kono, Suminori, Arai, Hidekazu, Koyanagi, Samon, Hiyamuta, Koji, Doi, Yoshitaka, Kawano, Tomoki, Nakagaki, Osamu, Takada, Kazuyuki, Nii, Takanobu, Shirai, Kazuyuki, Ideishi, Munehito, Arakawa, Kikuo, Mohri, Masahiro, Takeshita, Akira
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.07.2000; New York, NY Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Cardiology. Vascular system; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Artery Disease - epidemiology; Coronary Artery Disease - psychology; Coronary atherosclerosis; Coronary diseases; Cross-Sectional Studies; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Illness and personality; Illness, stress and coping; Incidence; Japan; Japan - epidemiology; Job Satisfaction; Job strain; Male; Medical sciences; Men; Middle Aged; Occupational stress; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Risk Factors; Stress, Psychological - complications; Tropical medicine; Type A behavior pattern; Type A behaviour; Type A Personality; Asia; Japan; Coronary angiography; Coronary atherosclerosis; Job strain; Type A behavior pattern; Social environment; Human; Type A behavior; Prevalence; Radiodiagnosis; Angiography; Disease; Attitude; Prediction; Cardiovascular disease; Male; Personality; Stress; Vascular disease; Atherosclerosis; Risk factor; Worker; Clinical investigation; Coping; Professional activity; Working condition; Comparative study; Somatic disease
• ISSN: 0022-3999; 1879-1360
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-3999(00)00145-8

Objective: To examine the relation of type A behavior pattern and job strain to angiographically documented coronary stenosis. Methods: Subjects were 197 male Japanese patients with a full-time job. A questionnaire-based interview elicited psychosocial and other factors. Type A behavior pattern was measured by 12 questions, and job strain by the method of Karasek. Significant coronary stenosis was defined when a 75% or greater luminal narrowing occurred at one or more major coronary arteries or when a 50% or greater narrowing occurred at the left main artery. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) with adjustment for traditional coronary risk factors and job type Results: Type A behavior pattern was related to a statistically non-significant lower prevalence of the coronary stenosis especially in the absence of job strain (adjusted OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.3–1.2). Job strain was non-significantly associated with a modestly increased prevalence of coronary stenosis (OR 1.7, 95% CI 0.6–5.2) Conclusion: These findings suggest that both the behavioral pattern and psychosocial work environment may be related to coronary artery stenosis.