Friday 13 January 2017

Your work may be killing you! Workaholism, sleep problems and cardiovascular risk

an article by Marisa Salanova and Susana Llorens (Universitat Jaume 1, Castellon, Spain) and Angel Arturo López-González, Ma Teófila Vicente-Herrero and Matias Tomás-Salvá (Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma, Spain) and Mario del Líbano (Universidad de Burgos, Spain) published in Work & Stress: An International Journal of Work, Health & Organisations Volume 30 Issue 3 (2016)

Abstract

This study tests the relationships between workaholism (i.e. working excessively and compulsively), sleep problems and cardiovascular risk in 537 employees from five Spanish hospitals.

Four types of worker (i.e. workaholics, positive workers, compulsive workers and hard workers) were distinguished, and their health indicators were compared.

The results showed that workaholics experienced significantly more sleep problems (i.e. morning tiredness, sleeping while driving and sleeping fewer hours both on weekdays and at weekends, with poorer quality), had higher relative risk scores, and consumed more caffeine and alcohol than the other patterns of worker (positive, compulsive and hard workers).

Further analyses revealed that sleep problems fully mediated the relationship between workaholism (i.e. working excessively and compulsively) and cardiovascular risk.

The study emphasizes the fact that being a workaholic might be a significant risk factor for having sleep problems and cardiovascular disease.


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