Adjusted HRs and 95% CIs for the association between stress at work (measured through the job strain score) and infections requiring healthcare contact (either inpatient or outpatient care) among employed individuals in the Swedish National March Cohort
| Job strain | ||||
| Low strain job | Passive job | Active job | High strain job | |
| Any infection | ||||
| Number of individuals* | 5882 | 7402 | 6334 | 5411 |
| Number of infections* | 1838 | 2391 | 2183 | 1845 |
| Person-years* | 81 607 | 101 652 | 87 660 | 74 947 |
| Andersen–Gill model | ||||
| HR (95% CI)† | 1.00 (reference) | 1.04 (0.94 to 1.14) | 1.11 (1.01 to 1.22) | 1.10 (0.99 to 1.21) |
| HR (95% CI)‡ | 1.00 (reference) | 1.03 (0.93 to 1.14) | 1.10 (1.00 to 1.22) | 1.08 (0.97 to 1.20) |
| HR (95% CI)§ | 1.00 (reference) | 1.02 (0.92 to 1.14) | 1.10 (1.00 to 1.22) | 1.08 (0.97 to 1.21) |
| Upper respiratory tract infections | ||||
| Number of infections* | 366 | 520 | 522 | 434 |
| Person-years* | 81 718 | 101 798 | 87 772 | 75 069 |
| Prentice, Williams and Peterson model | ||||
| HR (95% CI)† | 1.00 (reference) | 1.09 (0.94 to 1.27) | 1.26 (1.08 to 1.46) | 1.18 (1.02 to 1.37) |
| HR (95% CI)‡ | 1.00 (reference) | 1.10 (0.94 to 1.28) | 1.26 (1.08 to 1.46) | 1.19 (1.01 to 1.39) |
| HR (95% CI)§ | 1.00 (reference) | 1.10 (0.93 to 1.29) | 1.24 (1.06 to 1.46) | 1.18 (1.00 to 1.39) |
| Lower respiratory tract infections | ||||
| Number of infections* | 180 | 226 | 196 | 177 |
| Person-years* | 81 730 | 101 837 | 87 828 | 75 119 |
| Prentice, Williams and Peterson model | ||||
| HR (95% CI)† | 1.00 (reference) | 1.00 (0.81 to 1.23) | 1.00 (0.81 to 1.24) | 1.08 (0.86 to 1.36) |
| HR (95% CI)‡ | 1.00 (reference) | 0.99 (0.79 to 1.24) | 1.04 (0.84 to 1.28) | 1.07 (0.84 to 1.37) |
| HR (95% CI)§ | 1.00 (reference) | 0.89 (0.70 to 1.14) | 1.00 (0.80 to 1.26) | 1.04 (0.81 to 1.35) |
| Gastrointestinal tract infections | ||||
| Number of infections* | 239 | 284 | 241 | 206 |
| Person-years* | 81 475 | 101 607 | 87 647 | 74 972 |
| Prentice, Williams and Peterson model | ||||
| HR (95% CI)† | 1.00 (reference) | 0.94 (0.79 to 1.12) | 0.95 (0.79 to 1.13) | 0.91 (0.75 to 1.10) |
| HR (95% CI)‡ | 1.00 (reference) | 0.95 (0.79 to 1.14) | 0.93 (0.78 to 1.12) | 0.91 (0.74 to 1.11) |
| HR (95% CI)§ | 1.00 (reference) | 0.95 (0.78 to 1.16) | 0.91 (0.75 to 1.10) | 0.88 (0.71 to 1.09) |
| Skin infections | ||||
| Number of infections* | 249 | 362 | 302 | 237 |
| Person-years* | 81 689 | 101 807 | 87 755 | 75 065 |
| Prentice, Williams and Peterson model | ||||
| HR (95% CI)† | 1.00 (reference) | 1.13 (0.95 to 1.34) | 1.10 (0.92 to 1.31) | 1.07 (0.88 to 1.30) |
| HR (95% CI)‡ | 1.00 (reference) | 1.15 (0.97 to 1.38) | 1.11 (0.93 to 1.33) | 1.07 (0.87 to 1.32) |
| HR (95% CI)§ | 1.00 (reference) | 1.12 (0.92 to 1.35) | 1.08 (0.89 to 1.30) | 1.11 (0.89 to 1.38) |
| Urinary tract infections | ||||
| Number of infections* | 185 | 243 | 262 | 203 |
| Person-years* | 81 719 | 101 807 | 87 782 | 75 073 |
| Prentice, Williams and Peterson model | ||||
| HR (95% CI)† | 1.00 (reference) | 1.04 (0.86 to 1.27) | 1.29 (1.06 to 1.55) | 1.16 (0.94 to 1.42) |
| HR (95% CI)‡ | 1.00 (reference) | 1.03 (0.85 to 1.26) | 1.29 (1.07 to 1.57) | 1.16 (0.93 to 1.43) |
| HR (95% CI)§ | 1.00 (reference) | 1.02 (0.82 to 1.27) | 1.25 (1.02 to 1.54) | 1.11 (0.88 to 1.41) |
| Other infections | ||||
| Number of infections* | 591 | 734 | 596 | 548 |
| Person-years* | 81 593 | 101 702 | 87 654 | 74 975 |
| Prentice, Williams and Peterson model | ||||
| HR (95% CI)† | 1.00 (reference) | 0.98 (0.88 to 1.10) | 0.98 (0.87 to 1.10) | 1.01 (0.89 to 1.15) |
| HR (95% CI)‡ | 1.00 (reference) | 1.01 (0.90 to 1.15) | 0.96 (0.85 to 1.08) | 1.02 (0.90 to 1.17) |
| HR (95% CI)§ | 1.00 (reference) | 1.03 (0.90 to 1.17) | 0.98 (0.86 to 1.12) | 1.03 (0.89 to 1.19) |
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.