Workaholism, Exercise, and Stress-Related Illness

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine whether workaholism is associated with an increased risk of stress-related illness and if exercise is linked to a reduced risk of stress-related illness. Data were collected through administration of an online survey. The sample consisted of 266 employees in a medical school, 69% women, with a mean age of 47 years. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that workaholism was significantly associated with the presence of stress-related illness (odds ratio [OR] = 1.47, p = .009) and exercise with absence of stress-related illness (OR = 1.68, p = .003), even after controlling for age, family history, gender, income, and hours worked. The authors concluded that workaholism is a significant risk factor for stress-related illnesses and that physical exercise mitigates the negative effects of workaholism.

KEYWORDS:

• exercise
• illness
• occupational health
• work behavior
• workaholism