RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES RISK FACTORS IN DRIVERS

 from International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OCCUPATIONAL STRESS 

AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES RISK FACTORS IN 

DRIVERS

 HAMED BIGLARI1, MOHAMMAD HOSSEIN EBRAHIMI2, MARYAM SALEHI3,  MOHSEN POURSADEGHIYAN4, IMAN AHMADNEZHAD5,6, and MILAD ABBASI7,8 1

Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran Social Development and Health Promotion Research Center, School of Public Health,  Department of Environmental Health Engineering 2 Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran Occupational and Environmental Health Research Center 3 University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Department of Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences 4 University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran Pediatric Neurorehabilitation Research Center, Department of Ergonomics, School of Rehabilitation 5 National Iranian Oil Company, Tehran, Iran Iranian Petroleum Industry, Health Research Institute (IPI HRI) 6 Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Department of Addiction Study 7 Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health (RCEDH) 8 Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran School of Public Health, Department of Occupational Health Engineering
Funding: Tehran University of Medical Sciences, project No. 4957, entitled “The relationship between risk factors of cardiovascular disease and occupational stress among drivers.” Grant manager: Prof. Hossein Kakoei (2012–2014), Mohsen Poursadeghiyan, Ph.D. (2014–2015). Received: November 20, 2013. Accepted: July 8, 2015. Corresponding author: M. Poursadeghiyan, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Pediatric Neurorehabilitation Research Center, Department of Ergonomics, School of Rehabilitation, Kodakyar Ave., Daneshjo Blvd., Evin, 1985713834 Tehran, Iran (e-mail: mo.poursadeghiyan@uswr.ac.ir).
Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland

Objectives: Of all work stressors, occupational stress is the

 leading cause of many disorders among workers. Drivers 

are classified as a high risk group for work related stress. 

This study set out to determine the relationship between risk 

factors of cardiovascular diseases and occupational stress 

among drivers.

 Material and Methods: Two hundred and 

twenty two Ilam’s intercity drivers were selected for the

 study. For measuring work stress, the Osipow work stress 

questionnaire was used. After a 10-h fasting period, systolic 

and diastolic blood pressure was recorded. Intravenous 

blood samples were taken to determine cholesterol, 

triglyceride and blood glucose levels. The independent 

samples t-test and Pearson’s correlation test were used to 

assess the relationship between variables and occupational 

stress.

 Results: Seventy-one percent of the intercity drivers 

suffered from average to acute stress, and 3.1% of them 

suffered from acute stress. There was no significant 

relationship between occupational stress and diastolic blood 

pressure (p = 0.254) among the drivers. Nevertheless, the 

Pearson’s correlation test demonstrated a strong 

relationship between work stress and blood glucose (p < 

0.01), while no strong correlation was found for blood 

triglycerides and cholesterol levels.

 Conclusions: Based on the results, high rates of 

occupational stress were observed in the Ilam’s intercity

 drivers. Occupational stress may have effect on blood 

glucose levels but the results did not suggest a considerable

 relationship between risk factors of cardiovascular diseases 

and occupational stress among intercity drivers. Int J Occup

 Med Environ Health 2016;29(6):895–901