Stress management, aging, and disease

The association of stress management, work, and individual factors with the incidence of upper-back disorders and coronary heart disease was studied according to the House paradigm of stress research. The features of work concerned its organization and social environment. Stress management and individual factors covered coping styles, sense of coherence, family roles, gender, and age. These factors were measured by questionnaire studies in 1992 when the subjects (n = 1101, mean age 58 years) were active workers, and again in 1997. Manageability and withdrawal stress response prevented upper-back disorders, whereas dissatisfaction with the work schedule predicted these disorders. Male gender predicted coronary heart disease.