A prospective study of work stressors and the common cold

Abstract

Background Psychological stress is a risk factor for infectious diseases. Although psychological stress at work is considered an important problem for many workers, there is little evidence for the effect of workrelated stress on infectious diseases. Aims To investigate whether work-related stress affected the occurrence of the common cold in South Korean workers in small- to medium-sized manufacturing companies. Methods We conducted a prospective study, involving 1241 workers. At the outset, we collected information regarding sociodemographic and work characteristics. At follow-up after 6 months, we asked subjects whether they had experienced common cold symptoms during the preceding 4 months. Results Male subjects experiencing stress at the outset were more likely to report having experienced the common cold at follow-up (odds ratios: high job demand group 1.74; 95% CI: 1.28–2.36; insufficient job control 1.42; 95% CI: 1.05–1.93; inadequate social support 1.40; 95% CI: 1.03–1.91). For females, no significant association between work stress and occurrence of the common cold was detected. Conclusions Males experiencing work stress in job demand, job control and social support reported an increased occurrence of the common cold at follow-up but this association was not seen in females. Key words Common cold; gender difference; infectious disease; Korean; occupational stress.