Table 3

Adjusted HRs and 95% CIs for the association between stress at work (measured through the job control score) and infections requiring healthcare contact (either inpatient or outpatient care) among employed individuals in the Swedish National March Cohort

Tertiles of job control scoreP trend
First tertileSecond tertileThird tertile
Any infection
 Number of individuals*10 00485446481
 Number of infections*332427402193
 Person-years*138 710116 40390 752
 Andersen–Gill model
 HR (95% CI)†1.00 (reference)0.99 (0.91 to 1.07)1.02 (0.93 to 1.10)0.802
 HR (95% CI)‡1.00 (reference)0.99 (0.91 to 1.08)1.02 (0.93 to 1.12)0.685
 HR (95% CI)§1.00 (reference)0.99 (0.91 to 1.09)1.02 (0.92 to 1.13)0.755
Upper respiratory tract infections
 Number of infections*760588494
 Person-years*138 940116 56690 851
 Prentice, Williams and Peterson model
 HR (95% CI)†1.00 (reference)0.95 (0.84 to 1.07)1.01 (0.88 to 1.15)0.966
 HR (95% CI)‡1.00 (reference)0.94 (0.83 to 1.07)1.00 (0.87 to 1.16)0.900
 HR (95% CI)§1.00 (reference)0.92 (0.80 to 1.05)0.99 (0.86 to 1.15)0.728
Lower respiratory tract infections
 Number of infections*321246212
 Person-years*139 022116 60190 892
 Prentice, Williams and Peterson model
 HR (95% CI)†1.00 (reference)0.92 (0.77 to 1.10)0.97 (0.81 to 1.16)0.619
 HR (95% CI)‡1.00 (reference)0.94 (0.78 to 1.14)1.00 (0.81 to 1.23)0.918
 HR (95% CI)§1.00 (reference)0.98 (0.80 to 1.20)1.05 (0.84 to 1.31)0.749
Gastrointestinal tract infections
 Number of infections*377320273
 Person-years*138 741116 30590 654
 Prentice, Williams and Peterson model
 HR (95% CI)†1.00 (reference)1.05 (0.90 to 1.22)1.13 (0.96 to 1.32)0.152
 HR (95% CI)‡1.00 (reference)1.04 (0.88 to 1.22)1.13 (0.95 to 1.34)0.200
 HR (95% CI)§1.00 (reference)1.04 (0.88 to 1.24)1.10 (0.92 to 1.33)0.300
Skin infections
 Number of infections*462379309
 Person-years*138 961116 51090 845
 Prentice, Williams and Peterson model
 HR (95% CI)†1.00 (reference)0.97 (0.83 to 1.13)0.97 (0.83 to 1.14)0.689
 HR (95% CI)‡1.00 (reference)0.97 (0.83 to 1.13)0.98 (0.83 to 1.16)0.783
 HR (95% CI)§1.00 (reference)0.95 (0.80 to 1.12)0.98 (0.82 to 1.17)0.733
Urinary tract infections
 Number of infections*347329217
 Person-years*138 964116 52290 895
 Prentice, Williams and Peterson model
 HR (95% CI)†1.00 (reference)1.14 (0.98 to 1.34)0.98 (0.82 to 1.16)0.873
 HR (95% CI)‡1.00 (reference)1.14 (0.97 to 1.35)0.97 (0.81 to 1.17)0.918
 HR (95% CI)§1.00 (reference)1.16 (0.97 to 1.39)0.95 (0.77 to 1.17)0.938
Other infections
 Number of infections*1007813649
 Person-years*138 763116 41590 747
 Prentice, Williams and Peterson model
 HR (95% CI)†1.00 (reference)0.99 (0.89 to 1.09)0.99 (0.89 to 1.10)0.840
 HR (95% CI)‡1.00 (reference)0.97 (0.87 to 1.07)0.96 (0.86 to 1.08)0.500
 HR (95% CI)§1.00 (reference)0.96 (0.86 to 1.07)0.96 (0.85 to 1.09)0.487
  • Analyses are conducted using survival models for recurrent events.

  • *Numbers refer to observations included in the age-adjusted and sex-adjusted models.

  • †Adjusted by age and sex. N=25 029.

  • ‡Adjusted by age, sex, education, physical activity, shift work, Charlson’s index and income. N=24 379.

  • §Adjusted by age, sex, education, physical activity, shift work, Charlson’s index, income, smoking status, body mass index, alcohol and sleep duration. N=21 647.