Perceptions of control over work: psychophysiological responses to self-paced and externally-paced tasks in an adult population sample (original) (raw)
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The effect of mental stress on heart rate variability and blood pressure during computer work
European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2004
The aim was to evaluate the cardiovascular and subjective stress response to a combined physical and mental workload, and the effect of rest. Twelve females who had no prior experience of laboratory experiments participated in the study. Computer-work-related mental stressors were either added to or removed from a standardized computer work session in the laboratory. Beat-to-beat blood pressure and electrocardiogram (ECG) were recorded continuously during the experiment. The participants reported subjective experiences of stress in six categories using an 11-point scale before and at the end of the work. Heart rate variability (HRV) variables were calculated from the ECG recordings, and a reduction in the high-frequency component of HRV and an increase in the low-to high-frequency ratio were observed in the stress situation compared to the control session. No changes were seen in the low-frequency component of HRV. The stressors induced an increase in blood pressure compared to baseline that persisted, and for the diastolic pressure it even increased in the subsequent control session. No differences were observed for subjective experience of stress with the exception of a time trend in the exhaustion scale, i.e. a progression in reported exhaustion with time. The results-and the dissociation between HRV and blood pressure variables-indicate that HRV is a more sensitive and selective measure of mental stress. It could be speculated that heart rate-derived variables reflect a central pathway in cardiovascular control mechanisms (''central command''), while the blood pressure response is more influenced by local conditions in the working muscles that partly mask the effect of changes in mental workloads. In the rest period after each work session, HRV and blood pressure variables were partly normalized as expected. However, an 8-min period of rest was insufficient to restore blood pressure to resting values.
Job demands, decisional control, and cardiovascular responses.
Journal of …, 2003
The demand-control model for coronary heart disease was tested using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Male patrol officers (N ϭ 118) wore ambulatory blood pressure monitors during 1 of their day shifts with readings taken every 30 min. Following each reading, officers completed a questionnaire using a handheld computer. Significant interactions were obtained between job demands and decisional control for heart rate and pressure rate product such that both variables were highest under conditions of high demand and low control. Main effects were obtained for control such that diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure were significantly higher under conditions of low control. These results support the demand-control model and emphasize the importance of psychological control in cardiovascular responses.
The impact of task controllability on perceived control and cardiovascular processes
Psychophysiology, 2010
This article examines the impact of task control on perceived control and cardiovascular processes. Fifty-eight undergraduates performed a computer task where the functionality of the computer mouse was used to manipulate task control. Results are consistent with the proposition that actual control triggers an initial physiological response which can be modified temporally later by perceived control and that male participants react psychologically faster to changes in task control than female participants.
Impact of Task Controllability on Perceived Control and Cardiovascular Processes.
This article examines the impact of task control on perceived control and cardiovascular processes. Fifty-eight undergraduates performed a computer task where the functionality of the computer mouse was used to manipulate task control. Results are consistent with the proposition that actual control triggers an initial physiological response which can be modified temporally later by perceived control and that male participants react psychologically faster to changes in task control than female participants.
The perception of work stressors is related to reduced parasympathetic activity
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2011
The aim was to examine the perception of work stressors in relation to ambulatory measures of heart rate variability (HRV). Methods Results are based on a sample of 653 healthy male workers aged 40-55 from the Belgian Physical Fitness Study conducted in 1976-1978. Data were collected by means of self-administered questionnaires and bio-clinical examinations. An index of physical and psychosocial work stressors containing Wve items was constructed based on the job stress questionnaire. Data on HRV were collected by means of 24-h ambulatory ECG recordings on a working day. Both time and frequency domain measures of HRV were calculated. Associations between work stressors and HRV measures were assessed by means of correlations, multiple linear regression analysis and analysis of (co)variance. Results The work stressor index was signiWcantly associated with lower pNN50 (the percentage of diVerences between adjacent normal RR intervals >50 ms), lower high frequency power and a higher ratio of low frequency over high frequency power. Very similar results were obtained after adjusting for age, language, occupation, smoking, body mass index, total cholesterol, systolic blood pressure and leisure time physical activity. No signiWcant associations were found with SDNN (the standard deviation of all normal RR intervals) and low frequency power. Conclusions The perception of work stressors was related to reduced parasympathetic activity in a sample of 653 healthy male workers. These Wndings support the idea that particularly the parasympathetic component of the autonomic nervous system is related to work stress.
Eighty students volunteered to participate in an experiment with the aim of evaluating the impact of the manipulation of self-efficacy and negative incentive values on systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure. The subjects were asked to solve a series of 15 mathematical problems after having been randomly assigned to one of the four experimental conditions that were generated by combining two levels of self-efficacy (high versus low), and two levels of negative incentive value (high versus low), contingent upon failing to properly perform the task. The subjects' perceived competence was also evaluated. The results are consistent with those obtained in prior experiments, and they suggest that: (1) self-efficacy and negative incentive value interact in their effects on blood pressure; (2) the cognitive regulation of systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse pressure can be distinguished; (3) the subjects with low self-efficacy and high negative incentive value are the ones who generally experience the greatest activation; and (4) perceived competence does not appear to contribute to the psychophysiological regulation.
Bioenergetics: Open Access, 2013
Mental Work (MW) stimulates Cardiovascular (CV) functions in healthy adults and a reduction in cardiac parasympathetic modulation could be one mechanism involved in such a response. The influence of sex on these CV responses remains ambiguous. The aim of the study was to evaluate CV impacts of MW in healthy individuals and whether sex influences CV responses induced by MW. The impact of a 45-min reading and writing session vs. a control condition, on Blood Pressure (BP), Heart Rate (HR), and Heart Rate Variability (HRV), was evaluated in 44 healthy adults with the use of a randomized crossover design. The influence of sex on those variables was then evaluated. Diastolic BP (74 ± 1 vs. 69 ± 1 mm Hg; p < 0.05) and mean arterial pressure (MAP; 87 ± 7 vs. 83 ± 8 mmHg; p < 0.005), HR (68 ± 1 vs. 62 ± 1 bpm; p < 0.0001) and low frequency/high frequency ratio (2.8 ± 0.1 vs. 2.0 ± 0.1; p < 0.0001) were higher, while global HRV (SDNN: 84 ± 3 vs.104 ± 3 ms; p < 0.0001) and cardiac parasympathetic activity were lower during MW (p < 0.0001) vs. the control condition in the whole sample. During both experimental conditions, HR was higher (p < 0.0001), while BP, rMSSD, pNN50 and low frequency component of HRV were lower in women compared to men (all p < 0.05). The intensity of the cognitive demand and its influence on CV variables were comparable between men and women. These results support that MW increases BP and HR through decrement in cardiac parasympathetic modulation in healthy subjects and suggest that sex does not influence CV responses induced by cognitive demand of similar intensity.
The role of physical activity and heart rate variability for the control of work related stress
Frontiers in Physiology, 2014
Physical activity (PA) and exercise are often used as tools to reduce stress and therefore the risk for developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Meanwhile, heart rate variability (HRV) has been utilized to assess both stress and PA or exercise influences. The objective of the present review was to examine the current literature in regards to workplace stress, PA/exercise and HRV to encourage further studies. We considered original articles from known databases (PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge) over the last 10 years that examined these important factors. A total of seven studies were identified with workplace stress strongly associated with reduced HRV in workers. Longitudinal workplace PA interventions may provide a means to improve worker stress levels and potentially cardiovascular risk with mechanisms still to be clarified. Future studies are recommended to identify the impact of PA, exercise, and fitness on stress levels and HRV in workers and their subsequent influence on cardiovascular health.
Stress Management at the Worksite: Reversal of Symptoms Profile and Cardiovascular Dysregulation
Hypertension, 2006
Work stress may increase cardiovascular risk either indirectly, by inducing unhealthy life styles, or directly, by affecting the autonomic nervous system and arterial pressure. We hypothesized that, before any apparent sign of disease, work-related stress is already accompanied by alterations of RR variability profile and that a simple onsite stress management program based on cognitive restructuring and relaxation training could reduce the level of stress symptoms, revert stress-related autonomic nervous system dysregulation, and lower arterial pressure. We compared 91 white-collar workers, enrolled at a time of work downsizing (hence, in a stress condition), with 79 healthy control subjects. Psychological profiles were assessed by questionnaires and autonomic nervous system regulation by spectral analysis of RR variability. We also tested a simple onsite stress management program (cognitive restructuring and relaxation training) in a subgroup of workers compared with a sham subgroup (sham program). Workers presented an elevated level of stress-related symptoms and an altered variability profile as compared with control subjects (low-frequency component of RR variability was, respectively, 65.2Ϯ2 versus 55.3Ϯ2 normalized units; PϽ0.001; opposite changes were observed for the high-frequency component). These alterations were largely reverted (low-frequency component of RR variability from 63.6Ϯ3.9 to 49.3Ϯ3 normalized units; PϽ0.001) by the stress management program, which also slightly lowered systolic arterial pressure. No changes were observed in the sham program group. This noninvasive study indicates that work stress is associated with unpleasant symptoms and with an altered autonomic profile and suggests that a stress management program could be implemented at the worksite, with possible preventive advantages for hypertension. (Hypertension. 2007;49:291-297.)