Does work-family conflict predict allostatic load? A 4-year longitudinal study.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Psychosocial Epidemiology
• Biomedical Science

Background:

• Occupational psychosocial factors are linked to increased cardiovascular disease risk.
• Allostatic load (AL) serves as a key biological pathway mediating stress-induced diseases.
• Understanding the impact of work-life conflict on AL is essential for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the longitudinal association between work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC) and changes in the allostatic load index (ALI).
• To examine the relationship between baseline WFC and FWC and ALI changes over a four-year period.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Midlife in Japan survey and associated biomarker projects (Waves I and II).
• Included 152 employed participants with baseline and follow-up data for ALI and conflict variables.
• Employed two approaches ('Two ALI' and 'One ALI') to assess four-year ALI changes, analyzed using negative binomial regression and generalized estimating equations.

Main Results:

• Work-to-family conflict (WFC) at baseline was significantly associated with increased ALI over four years using both analytical approaches.
• Family-to-work conflict (FWC) did not show a statistically significant association with ALI changes.
• Results were reported as count ratios (CRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Conclusions:

• Work-to-family conflict (WFC) demonstrates a significant longitudinal association with increased allostatic load index (ALI).
• Findings underscore the importance of interventions aimed at reducing the adverse health impacts of WFC.
• Mitigating WFC is crucial for preventing stress-related health issues, particularly cardiovascular disease.