Work-Related Stress and Asthma: Results from a Workforce Survey in New Zealand

Abstract

Objective. We assessed the association between work-related stress and asthma in a cross-sectional workforce survey in New Zealand. Methods. Men and women randomly selected from the Electoral Roll were invited to take part in a telephonic interview, which collected information on current workplace exposures and respiratory symptoms. Participants rated how stressful they found their current job on a five-point scale. We conducted unconditional logistic regression to calculate prevalence odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for job stress and both current and adult-onset asthma, adjusting for age, sex, smoking, and deprivation. Analyses were also stratified by sex, smoking status, body mass index, and age group. Results. Results were based on 2903 interviews. Participants with very or extremely stressful jobs were twice as likely to have current asthma (OR = 1.98; 95% CI = 1.52–2.58) and 50% more likely to have adult-onset asthma (OR = 1.50; 95% CI = 1.05–2.15) compared to those with not at all or mildly stressful jobs. This association was evident for both sexes and was not explained by either occupation, age, body mass index, or smoking, although the results did differ by smoking status. Conclusion. Our study adds to the sparse evidence on the relationship between work-related stress and asthma in adult working populations.

• epidemiology
• asthma
• occupational health
• work stress

Acknowledgements

We thank Tracey Whaanga, Zoe Harding, Cecil Priest, Penelope Whitson, Michaela Skelly, Phoebe Taptiklis, Emma Drummond, Anna McCarty, Natasha Holland, Kelly Gray, Adam Hoskins, Alister Thomson, Jessica Fargher, Cilla Blackwell, Emma Turner, Selena Richards, Kim Crothall, Alice Harding, Joelene Wilkie, Joanne Dow, and Tania McKenzie who conducted the interviews, and Rebecca Jones, Alice Harding, Zoe Harding, Alister Thomson, Chani Tromop van Dalen, Jessica Fargher, Cecil Priest, and Miria Hudson who completed the data entry.

This project was funded by a Joint Research Portfolio of the Health Research Council, the Accident Compensation Corporation, and the Department of Labour (HRC 04/072). The Centre for Public Health Research is supported by a program grant from the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC 02/159).

Declaration of Interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.