Exploring the determinants of healthy eating and physical activity: a cross-cultural perspective

OBJECTIVES : To determine the prospective impact of Iso-Strain at Work (Iso-W) and Iso-Strain at Home (Iso-H) in workers, on long term absenteeism. METHODS : In the Belstress III study (N= 2675 workers from 7 enterprises) Job-Demand-Control-Social Support (KARASEK ) as well as Stress problems at Home (KLITZMAN) and Social Support outside work (SYME & BERKMAN) –calculated accordingly in Iso-Strain at Home - were measured besides classical socio-demographic data (age, sex, educational level, professional status, type of enterprise, language ). Absenteeism was registred independently by the enterprise during 1-year of follow-up. Fourteen days of absence and more was considerd as longterm absence (N=320). RESULTS : Multiple logistic regressions of long term absences revealed that Iso-W was statistically significant (OR :1.54 {1.12-2.13}) when not controlled for socio-demographic variables, whereas after control it losts its statistical significance. Iso-H without controlling for possible counfounders was significant (OR : 1.67{1.21-2.32}) and remained significant after control for socio-demographic variables. When both Iso-Strain dimensions were included in the same analysis and controlled for the other variables, only Iso-H was significant with an OR of 1.69 {1.22-2.35} CONCLUSIONS : When considering the deleterious influence of work Strain on health without benefiting from the social support from boss or colleagues, one should take into account additionally its equivalent outside work (ISO-Strain at Home).