Men in stressful jobs are more than twice as likely to smoke than other workers, and those putting in longer hours can double their risk again, an Australian study shows.
New research by the University of Melbourne has drawn a stronger than ever link between stressful working environments and unhealthy habits.
The study compares the smoking habits of 1,100 Victorian workers with their levels of job stress, number of hours worked and other employment conditions.
Study leader, Dr Tony LaMontagne, found that smoking rates were closely tied to stress.
Men who work more than 50 hours a week are more than twice as likely to smoke as their counterparts working regular full-time hours.
Low levels of control over work, and psychologically demanding work also make men twice as likely to smoke.
Female workers were most likely to smoke if they were in a physically demanding job, indicating sex differences in job stress and its impact on smoking habits.
Explaining the link, the researcher said 70 per cent of smokers pick up the habit around the time they start working, and job stress becomes a direct barrier to quitting.
Australia has one of the highest proportions among developed country of workers who regularly work more than 50 hours a week.
The strong association between working hours, stress and smoking in this study suggests that quit smoking campaigns in the workplace were unlikely to succeed without addressing the factors that seem to maintain the habit.
Reference
Radi, S., Ostry, A., & LaMontagne, A.D. (2007). Job stress and other working conditions: Relationships with smoking behaviours in a representative sample of working Australians. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 50, 584-596.
