Psychosocial working conditions and chronic low-grade inflammation in geriatric care professionals: A cross-sectional study

Helena C Kaltenegger; Matthias Weigl; Linda Becker; Nicolas Rohleder; Dennis Nowak; Caroline Quartucci

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0274202

Psychosocial working conditions and chronic low-grade inflammation in geriatric care professionals: A cross-sectional study

PLoS One. 2022 Sep 15;17(9):e0274202. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274202. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Helena C Kaltenegger¹, Matthias Weigl^{1

2}, Linda Becker³, Nicolas Rohleder³, Dennis Nowak¹, Caroline Quartucci^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
² Institute for Patient Safety, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
³ Chair of Health Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
⁴ Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Institute for Occupational Health and Product Safety, Environmental Health, Munich, Germany.

Abstract

Background: Chronic low-grade inflammation has been suggested as a key factor in the association between stress exposure and long-term health. Care work is recognized as a profession with a high degree of job stress and health risks. However, for care professionals, the study base on inflammatory activity due to adverse working conditions is limited.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore associations between self-reported psychosocial working conditions and care professionals' biomarkers of systemic low-grade inflammation.

Methods: N = 140 geriatric care professionals (79.3% females, mean age = 44.1 years) of six care facilities were enrolled in a cross-sectional study consisting of standardized medical examinations and employee surveys. Standardized questionnaires were used for evaluation of psychosocial work characteristics (work overload, job autonomy, social support) based on Karasek's job strain model. Blood samples were drawn for two biomarkers of inflammatory activity: C-reactive protein (CRP) and leukocyte count. Analyses comprised uni- and multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses.

Results: We determined a proportion of 5.4% of care professionals with increased low-grade inflammation. We further observed a relationship between job autonomy and CRP, such that reports of high job autonomy were associated with increased levels of CRP (adjusted OR = 4.10, 95% CI [1.10, 15.26], p = .035), which was robust in additional analyses on further potential confounders. No significant associations with participants' leukocyte numbers were found.

Conclusions: This exploratory study contributes to the research base on links between workplace stress and ensuing illness in care professionals. Our findings may help to identify risk and protective factors of the work environment for chronic low-grade inflammation. The results require further scrutiny, and future prospective studies on associations of psychosocial working conditions, low-grade inflammation and long-term health outcomes in care professionals are needed.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Biomarkers
C-Reactive Protein*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Inflammation
Male
Occupational Stress*
Prospective Studies

Substances

Biomarkers
C-Reactive Protein

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the Bavarian Research Association ForDigitHealth (HCK, LB, NR) and the Munich Centre for Health Sciences MC-Health (MW, DN, HCK). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. There was no additional external funding received for this study.