Work-related stress and Type 2 diabetes

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22333189

Occup Med (Lond). 2012 Feb 14. [Epub ahead of print]
Work-related stress and Type 2 diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Cosgrove MP, Sargeant LA, Caleyachetty R, Griffin SJ.
Source
Cherry Hinton Medical Centre, 34 Fishers Lane, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB1 9HR, UK.

Abstract
Background
Work-related psychosocial stress has been hypothesized to increase the individual risk of Type 2 diabetes; however, observational epidemiological studies investigating the association between work-related psychosocial stress and Type 2 diabetes have provided an inconsistent picture.

Aims
To evaluate whether work-related psychosocial stress (defined by a work-related stress model or by long work hours) is associated with the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Methods
A systematic review of the literature was conducted until March 2010. Studies eligible for inclusion were published observational epidemiological studies of adult participants in community or occupational settings if they had a measure of work-related stress on a validated scale or a measure of work hours or overtime assessed prior to, or at the same time as, assessment of Type 2 diabetes status. Where possible, meta-analysis was conducted to obtain summary odds ratios of the association.

Results
We located nine studies (four prospective, one case-control and four cross-sectional). The meta-analyses did not show any statistically significant associations between any individual aspect of work-related psychosocial stress or job strain and risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Conclusions
The specific hypothesis that a working environment characterized by high psychosocial stress is directly associated with increased risk of Type 2 diabetes could not be supported from the meta-analysis.