The effect of long working hours on cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease; A case-crossover study

Am J Ind Med. 2017 Sep;60(9):753-761. doi: 10.1002/ajim.22688.

Abstract

Background: This study investigated the relationship between weekly working hours and the occurrence of cerebro-cardiovascular diseases using a case-crossover study design.

Methods: We investigated average working hours during the 7 days before the onset of illness (hazard period) and average weekly working hours between 8 days and 3 months before the onset of cerebro-cardiovascular diseases (control period) for 1,042 cases from the workers' compensation database for 2009.

Results: Among all subjects, the odds ratio by conditional logistic regression for the risk of cerebro-cardiovascular diseases with a 10 hr increase in average weekly working hours was 1.45 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-1.72), a significant association.

Conclusions: An increase in average weekly working hours may trigger the onset of cerebro-cardiovascular disease. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:753-761, 2017. © 2017. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease; case-crossover study; cerebrovascular disease; long working hours; workers’ compensation.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / etiology*
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / etiology*
  • Cross-Over Studies
  • Databases, Factual
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Occupational Diseases / etiology*
  • Odds Ratio
  • Republic of Korea
  • Risk Factors
  • Time Factors
  • Work Schedule Tolerance / physiology*
  • Workers' Compensation / statistics & numerical data
  • Young Adult