Abstract

Study objective: To determine the association between adverse psychosocial characteristics at work and risk of first myocardial infarction in the occupational categories of Kaunas men, Lithuania.

Design: The analysis was based upon a case-control study among full time working men in the general population of Kaunas.

Outcome measure: First non-fatal myocardial infarction diagnosed in 2001–2002. The Swedish version of the demand-control questionnaire was used to examine the effect of job control and demands.

Setting: Kaunas, the second largest city in Lithuania, a former socialist country in a transition market economy.

Participants: Cases were 203 men 25–64 years of age with a first non-fatal myocardial infarction and controls were 287 men group randomly selected from the study base.

Main results: Low job control had a significant effect on myocardial infarction risk in the general 25–64 year old Kaunas male population (OR = 2.68; 95% CI 1.68 to 4.28) after adjustment for age and socioeconomic status. Low job control was a risk factor in the occupational categories of the increased myocardial infarction risk (1st occupational category—legislators, senior officials and managers and the 8th—plant and machine operators and assemblers; OR = 2.78; 95% CI 1.31 to 5.93 and 2.72; 95% CI 1.56 to 4.89, respectively, after adjustment for age and socioeconomic status). Though the adjusted odds ratio estimates were significantly high for the rest of the occupational categories (2nd—professionals, 3rd—technicians and associate professionals, and 7th—craft and related trades workers).

Conclusions: The association between low job control and first myocardial infarction risk was significant for all occupational categories of Kaunas men.