Work stress may actually lower smokers' nicotine dependence, finds a study that contradicts the popular belief that job pressures boost levels of smoking.
Work stress may actually lower smokers' nicotine dependence, finds a study that contradicts the popular belief that job pressures boost levels of smoking.
Use of tobacco is a risk factor for six of the eight leading causes of death. The total number of deaths due to tobacco use (from heart disease, lung cancer and other diseases) is projected to rise from 5.4 million in 2004 to 8.3 million in 2030. Nicotine dependence and its extent are influenced by individual, genetic and psychosocial factors as well as combinations of these factors. Smoking is also believed to be a coping strategy for work-related stress.
To analyse the association between occupational stress factors and nicotine dependence, researchers used an internationally recognised and validated nicotine dependence test to assess the smoking habits of 197 Germans . All the participants were active smokers and employed, as well as admitted in hospital when the study was carried out. The extent of occupational stress factors were assessed using the Effort-Reward Imbalance scale.
The 197 people who were studied consisted of 70 lung cancer patients, 53 heart attack patients and 74 control patients (who had neither heart disease nor lung cancer). Fifty one participants (26%) had a very low dependence on nicotine, 54 (27%) had a low dependence, 26 (13%) were moderately dependent, and 45 (23%) were highly dependent and 21 (11%) were very highly dependent. The mean value of the FTND scale was 2.65 (with a range of 1-5), which indicates a moderate level of dependence. Dividing them into 2 groups, 131 workers had low nicotine dependence and 66 had high dependence. The researchers also found that nicotine dependence was less likely among people who were married, religious and had a higher level of education.
Heavy employee workload was associated with less smoking and lower nicotine dependence, which could be due to employees smoking only during their spare time, as well as the growing number of workplace smoking bans leading study participants to reduce their consumption.
Though workers with job-related stress smoked less than other smokers, and so had a lower dependence on nicotine, the significance of the link should be interpreted carefully after further research, since these could be due to strict working conditions and company smoking rules.
Use of tobacco is a risk factor for six of the eight leading causes of death. The total number of deaths due to tobacco use (from heart disease, lung cancer and other diseases) is projected to rise from 5.4 million in 2004 to 8.3 million in 2030. Nicotine dependence and its extent are influenced by individual, genetic and psychosocial factors as well as combinations of these factors. Smoking is also believed to be a coping strategy for work-related stress.
To analyse the association between occupational stress factors and nicotine dependence, researchers used an internationally recognised and validated nicotine dependence test to assess the smoking habits of 197 Germans . All the participants were active smokers and employed, as well as admitted in hospital when the study was carried out. The extent of occupational stress factors were assessed using the Effort-Reward Imbalance scale.
The 197 people who were studied consisted of 70 lung cancer patients, 53 heart attack patients and 74 control patients (who had neither heart disease nor lung cancer). Fifty one participants (26%) had a very low dependence on nicotine, 54 (27%) had a low dependence, 26 (13%) were moderately dependent, and 45 (23%) were highly dependent and 21 (11%) were very highly dependent. The mean value of the FTND scale was 2.65 (with a range of 1-5), which indicates a moderate level of dependence. Dividing them into 2 groups, 131 workers had low nicotine dependence and 66 had high dependence. The researchers also found that nicotine dependence was less likely among people who were married, religious and had a higher level of education.
Heavy employee workload was associated with less smoking and lower nicotine dependence, which could be due to employees smoking only during their spare time, as well as the growing number of workplace smoking bans leading study participants to reduce their consumption.
Though workers with job-related stress smoked less than other smokers, and so had a lower dependence on nicotine, the significance of the link should be interpreted carefully after further research, since these could be due to strict working conditions and company smoking rules.
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