Mortality from coronary heart disease in California men who work long hours

doi:10.1016/0021-9681(60)90060-6

Journal of Chronic Diseases

Volume 11, Issue 6, June 1960, Pages 615-626

Journal of Chronic D...

https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9681(60)90060-6 Get rights and content

Abstract

The registered mortality of men in California, 1949 to 1951, is used to test the hypothesis that occupational stress, insofar as it can be measured by the length of the work week, is associated with coronary heart disease. That measure has been used by Russek and Zohman, ¹ who reported that a high proportion of persons with coronary heart disease had worked long hours for some time preceding attack. The registered mortality data, together with some Census occupational data on work hours, allows an independent check of that finding.

Farmers and farm laborers show relative protection from mortality attributed to coronary heart disease, even though many of them work long hours. On the other hand, evidence from nonfarm occupations shows an excess of coronary mortality among light workers who are on the job more than 48 hours a week, especially before age 45. The evidence for men at ages 45 to 64 is weaker and perhaps questionable; but, it should be noted, Russek and Zohman also report evidence only for young adults. The difference in the evidence for younger and older middle-aged men is open to several interpretations: perhaps the most useful to research is that stress, as defined, may be associated with thrombotic complications but not necessarily with progressive atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries.

References (7)

L. Breslow et al.
Mortality From Coronary Heart Disease and Physical Activity of Work in California
J. Chron. Dis.
(1960)
J.N. Morris et al.
Coronary Heart Disease and Physical Activity of Work
Lancet
(1953)
J.N. Morris et al.
Coronary Heart Disease and Physical Activity of Work
Lancet
(1953)
R.H. Rosenman et al.
The Possible Relationship of Occupational Stress to Clinical Coronary Heart Disease
California Med.
(1958)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (93)

Everybody likes shopping, including the US capital market
2020, Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications
Citation Excerpt :
We support this assumption with results from the organizational and psychology research indicating that workloads resulting in inflated work hours have been linked to bad moods, distress, fatigue, heavy smoking, inadequate diet, and lack of exercise [18,68,69]. Earlier research has even reported a higher prevalence of heart disease in men working over 48 h per week [70]. Sparks et al.’s [71] meta-analysis of 21 studies establishes a positive correlation between weekly work hours and overall ill health.
In this study, we investigate whether Black Fridays are associated with abnormal returns. We find that significant abnormal returns are evident in the main Canadian and US stock indices, as well as in several economic sectors. The Black Friday effect also seems to be size-related, as portfolio indices comprised of small stocks yield abnormally positive returns. The results remain persistent regardless of the sub-periods analyzed or the statistical methods and portfolios used. In explaining this anomaly, we consider rational as well as irrational explanations from psychology, decision-making, and marketing. Finally, investors can use simple strategies that take advantage of the apparent market inefficiencies documented in this study.
A moderated mediation model of job stress, job satisfaction, and turnover intention for airport security screeners
2017, Safety Science
Citation Excerpt :
To evaluate ASS job stress more accurately, however, we need to fully comprehend diverse factors, such as the organization’s culture and interpersonal relationships, in addition to work-related aspects such as psychological job demands and job latitude. Indeed, numerous studies have examined work stressors such as interpersonal conflict (e.g., Keenan and Newton, 1985; Spector, 1987; Spector and Jex, 1998); organizational constraints (Peters and O’Connor, 1980; Villanova and Roman, 1993); rewards (Peter et al., 1998; Siegrist, 2002); workload (e.g., Buell and Breslow, 1960; Rau, 2003; Spector and Jex, 1998); and perceived control (Hackman and Oldham, 1980; Spector, 1986; Wagner, 1994). In this study, we aimed to examine how ASS job stress—which arises from various sources, including organizational factors—influences TI.
Previous research on aviation safety has mainly focused on pilots and air-traffic controllers, with scant attention to airport security screeners. In addition, most studies have examined the factors that influence the performance of X-ray screening. However, for accurate screening, it is important that screeners acquire expertise through real world experience, which can only be gained over a long period. Therefore, the high turnover rate among airport security screeners is a potential threat to aviation safety. We investigate whether job stress influences screeners' turnover intention and whether job satisfaction mediates this relationship. Also, we examine whether the individual’s motivation level moderates this mediation model by conducting a moderated mediation analysis. We find that high job stress is associated with low job satisfaction, which in turn predicts higher turnover intention. Furthermore, the effects of such a mediation model were significantly larger among security screeners with high self-determined motivation than those with low self-determined motivation.
The short trading day anomaly
2016, Journal of Empirical Finance
Citation Excerpt :
Increased workloads resulting in inflated work hours have been linked to bad moods, distress, fatigue, heavy smoking, inadequate diet, and lack of exercise (Cooper, Cooper et al., 1982; Ono et al., 1991; Maruyama and Morimoto, 1996). Earlier research has even reported a higher prevalence of heart disease in men working over 48 h per week (Buell and Breslow, 1960). Sparks et al.'s (1997) meta-analysis of 21 studies establishes a positive correlation between weekly work hours and overall ill health.
The psychological literature indicates that people's mood affects their choices and judgments. We find that short trading days around holidays on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange are accompanied by positive abnormal returns and reduced volatility in returns. This anomaly is evident in the main stock indices, as well as most of the economic sector indices. The anomaly seems to be size related, with small and mid-cap indices producing abnormal returns. In addition, the volatility index (VIX) during short trading days tends to be lower than on normal trading days. Our findings suggest that investors can benefit from using two simple trading strategies.
Child Gender and Married Women’s Overwork: Evidence from Rural–Urban Migrants in China
2022, Healthcare (Switzerland)
Stress in the work environment
2022, Human Stress and the Environment
The relationship between working hours and the intention to quit smoking in male office workers: Data from the 7th korean national health and nutrition examination survey (2016-2017)
2021, Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

View all citing articles on Scopus

^☆: Supported by Grant No. H-1881 from the National Heart Institute, National Institutes of Health, U. S. Public Health Service.

^∗: Associate Public Health Analyst.

^∗∗: Chief, Bureau of Chronic Diseases.

View full text

Mortality from coronary heart disease in California men who work long hours☆

Abstract

J. Chron. Dis.

Lancet

Lancet

California Med.