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Updated: May 6, 2026
11:13
The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
13.2K
Source-specific social support and circulating inflammatory markers among white-collar employees
Akinori Nakata1, Masahiro Irie, Masaya Takahashi
1School of Health Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-1, Iseigaoka, Yahata-nishi-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, 807-8555, Japan, nakataa@health.uoeh-u.ac.jp.
Summary
Supervisor support significantly lowers interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in working men, suggesting a key pathway for social support
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Occupational Health
- Immunology
Background:
- Social support is known to benefit cardiovascular health.
- The specific pathways linking different sources of social support to inflammatory markers are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the independent and moderating associations between social support and inflammatory markers.
- To explore how supervisor, coworker, and family/friend support influence inflammation.
Main Methods:
- 137 male white-collar employees participated.
- Blood samples were analyzed for high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), monocyte, and leukocyte counts.
- Participants completed a social support questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Supervisor support showed a significant inverse association with IL-6.
- Coworker support was marginally associated with TNF-α.
- Support from family and friends was not associated with the measured inflammatory markers.
Conclusions:
- Social support from supervisors may be a crucial mechanism for improving inflammatory markers in working men.
- Targeting workplace social support could be a strategy for cardiovascular health promotion.
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