Systolic blood pressure in relation to occupation and perceived work stress

This paper outlines the methods used in a five-year prospective study of 4,607 Australian government employees and presents initial cross-sectional results examining associations between systolic blood pressure, occupation, and subjects' perceptions of work stress as ascertained in a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire items were grouped by means of principal component analysis into six factors representing adverse job characteristics. There were appreciable occupational differences in the mean scores for all six factors and in systolic blood pressure. The differences in systolic blood pressure among men from different occupational categories could not be explained by variation in the level of occupational stress perceived and reported by the subjects. Age, occupation, body mass index, and level of perceived stress arising from financial problems were significantly associated with systolic blood pressure level. A multiple linear regression model was used to determine the relationship between systolic blood pressure, age, and occupation after adjustment for the effects of the other variables.