[Cross-lagged path analysis of the correlation between occupational stress and blood pressure in Xinjiang petroleum...

Objective: To investigate the temporal correlation between occupational stress and elevated blood pressure among petroleum workers in Xinjiang. Methods: Based on the Occupational Health Study Cohort of Petroleum Workers (OHSPIW), 1600 petroleum workers in Xinjiang who underwent occupational health examinations from May to June 2015 and December 2017 were selected as the research subjects. The occupational stress of workers was evaluated using the Occupational Roles Questionnaire (ORQ) in the Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised (OSI-R). The blood pressure measurement data of physical examination results were collected. The relationship between the ORQ total score and blood pressure was analyzed using Spearman rank correlation, and the causal time-series relationship between occupational stress and elevated blood pressure over time was analyzed by cross-lagged path analysis modelling. Results: In the baseline data of petroleum workers, the systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were 124.00 (119.00, 128.00) and 77.00 (73.00, 82.00) mmHg respectively, with an ORQ total score of 164.00 (154.00, 174.00) points. In the follow-up data, the SBP and DBP were 126.00 (123.00, 128.00) and 78.00 (75.00, 82.00) mmHg respectively, and the ORQ total score was 168.00 (157.00, 181.00) points. The results of the correlation analysis showed that the ORQ total score of petroleum workers was positively correlated with the levels of SBP and DBP (P<0.05), and the ORQ total score at follow-up was negatively correlated with the baseline levels of SBP and DBP (P<0.05). The results of the cross-lagged path analysis showed that the path coefficients from the baseline ORQ total score of petroleum workers to the follow-up SBP and DBP levels were statistically significant (ρ=0.06, 0.06, P=0.032, 0.011). In terms of time sequence, the increase in the ORQ total score preceded the increase in the SBP and DBP levels. Conclusion: The occupational stress of petroleum workers is related to blood pressure, and the increase of occupational stress precedes the change of blood pressure. This correlation may increase the risk of hypertension among petroleum workers.