Concealing Emotions at Work Is Associated with Allergic Rhinitis in Korea

Concealing emotions at work can cause considerable psychological stress. While there is extensive research on the adverse health effects of concealing emotions and the association between allergic diseases and stress, research has not yet investigated whether concealing emotions at work is associated with allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis is a common disease in many industrialized countries, and its prevalence is increasing. Thus, our aim was to determine the strength of this association using data from three years (2007-2009) of the 4th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants (aged 20-64) were 8,345 individuals who were economically active and who had completed the questionnaire items on concealing emotions at work. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated for allergic rhinitis using logistic regression models. Among all participants, 3,140 subjects (37.6%) reported concealing their emotions at work: 1,661 men and 1,479 women. The OR (95% CIs) for allergic rhinitis among those who concealed emotions at work versus those who did not was 1.318 (1.148-1.512). Stratified by sex, the OR (95% CIs) was 1.307 (1.078-1.585) among men and 1.346 (1.105-1.639) among women. Thus, individuals who concealed their emotions at work were significantly more likely to have a diagnosis of AR in comparison to those who did not. Because concealing emotions at work has adverse health effects, labor policies that aim to reduce this practice are needed.