People working in environments where there is a mismatch between the efforts spent on doing their role and the rewards they get back in return may be at higher theoretical risk of Type 2 diabetes, a study has concluded.
The review and meta-analysis of 18 other research studies, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, concluded there is “a significant association” between effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and the risk of Type-2 diabetes in workers.
ERI is a theoretical psychosocial work environment model designed to gauge adverse effects on health and wellbeing and which focuses on the consequences of a mismatch between high efforts spent versus low rewards received at work.
In this latest study, the meta-analysis suggested that, compared with workers not exposed to workplace stressors, Type-2 diabetes was significantly associated with job strain and with ERI.
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Job strain also increased the incidence of Type 2 diabetes, especially among women.
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However, there was association with a range of other common workplace stressors, including high psychosocial demands, low control or agency, and poor work support networks.
The study follows warnings that up to 5.5 million people in the UK by 2030 could have diabetes, but also moves by the NHS to roll out a ‘soups and shakes’ diet programme to help people at risk of diabetes lose weight.
