• Human Impact Partners
  • Human Impact Partners
  • Human Impact Partners
  • Human Impact Partners
  • Human Impact Partners

Human Impact Partners Evidence Base

Evidence Base Home » Livelihood » Work-life balance and decision latitude in jobs can impact health

Articles in Work/life balance and decision latitude in jobs can impact health.

  • Psychosocial aspects of the work environment including high work demands, low decision latitude, and perceived injustice can lead to poor mental and physical health.

    Cheng Y, Kawachi I, Coakley EH, Schwartz J, Colditz G. Association between psychosocial work characteristics and health functioning in American women: prospective study. BMJ. 2000;320(7247):1432-6.
    Schnall PL, Landsbergis PA, Baker D. Job strain and cardiovascular disease. Annual Review of Public Health. 1994;15:381-411.

  • Low levels of procedural and relational justice at work were associated with a higher risk of depression and anxiety and predicted subsequent cardiovascular disease incidence.

    Ylipaavalniemi J, Kivimäki M, Elovainio M, Virtanen M, Keltikangas-Järvinen L, Vahtera J. 2005. Psychosocial work characteristics and incidence of newly diagnosed depression: a prospective cohort study of three different models. Social Science & Medicine. 61:111-22.
    Kivimäki M, Elovainio M, Vahtera J, Virtanen M, Stansfeld SA. 2003. Association between organizational inequity and incidence of psychiatric disorders in female employees. Psychological Medicine 33:319-326.
    Kivimäki M, Ferrie JE, Brunner E, Head J, Shipley MJ, Vahtera J, Marmot MG. 2005. Justice at work and reduced risk of coronary heart disease among employees: The Whitehall II study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 165, 2245-2251.

  • A combination of high demands and low decision latitude was related to an increased risk of subsequent depression, particularly among men.

    Bonde JPE. 2008. Psychosocial factors at work and risk of depression: a systematic review of the epidemiological evidence. Occup Environ Med 65: 438-445.

  • Job strain, low decision latitude, low social support, high psychological demands, effort-reward imbalance, and high job insecurity predicted common mental disorders, with the strongest effects being found for job strain and effort-reward imbalance.

    Stansfeld S, Candy B. 2006. Psychosocial work environment and mental health - a meta-analytic review. Scandinavian Journal Of Work Environment & Health 32(6): 443-462.

  • High work demands (measured by working fast, working hard, insufficient time to do work, excessive work, conflicting demands) predicted the incidence of depressive and anxiety disorders in both men and women.

    Plaisier I, de Bruijn JGM, de Graaf R, Have M, Beekman ATF, Penninx BWJH. 2007. The contribution of working conditions and social support to the onset of depressive and anxiety disorders among male and female employees. Social Science & Medicine 64:401-10.

  • A lack of control over work time (e.g., unpredictable hours) is stressful. Shift work has been linked to sleep disturbances, digestive problems, cardiovascular disease, unhealthy behaviors, and stress from work/family conflict.

    Shields M. 1999. Long working hours and health. Health Reporter 11(2):33-48 (English); 37-55.

  • Working very long hours (< 60 hours/week and 50 hours of overtime/month) has been linked to stroke, cardiac failure, and myocardial infarction.

    Uehata T. 1991. Long working hours and occupational stress-related cardiovascular attacks among middle-aged workers in Japan. Journal of Human Ergology 20(2):147-53.

  • Having little control over one's work is particularly strongly related to an increased risk of low back pain, sickness absence and cardiovascular disease.

    Kappagoda M, Bhatia R, Sargent M. 2007. Tales of a City's Workers: A Profile of Jobs and Health in San Francisco. Program on Health, Equity and Sustainability. San Francisco Dept of Public Health.

  • Job strain is highly significantly correlated with increased ambulatory blood pressure.

    Schnall PL, Schwartz JE, Landsbergis PA, Warren K, Pickering TG. 1998. A longitudinal study of job strain and ambulatory blood pressure: results from a three year follow up. Psychosom Med 60(6):697-706.

  • Employees who experience an imbalance between work and home life tend to also experience high levels of stress, resulting in sleep disturbance, depression and fatigue.

    Bohle P, Quinlan M, Kennedy D, Williamson A. “Working Hours, Work-life Conflict and Health in Precarious and “Permanent” Employment”. Revue de Salude Publica 2004 December, 38 Supplement: 19-25.

  • The risk of obesity may increase in high-demand, low-control work environments and for those who work long hours.

    Schulte PA, Wagner GR, Ostry A, Blanciforti LA, Cutlip RG, Krajnak KM, Luster M, Munson AE, O’Callaghan JP, Parks CG, Simeonova, PP, Miller DB. 2007. Work, obesity, and occupational safety and health. American journal of public health 97(3): 428-436.