Work Stress and the Risk of Cancer: a Meta ‐analysis of Observational Studies

This study aimed to investigate the association between work stress and the risk of cancer and in relation to major potential confounding and modifying factors. We systematically searched three electronic databases, hand ‐searched references and citations of retrieved articles, and consulted experts to identify studies on assessing the association between work stress and the risk of cancer. The relative risks (RRs) of cancer associated with work stress were estimated using a random‐effects model, and stratified by exposure measurement, study design, gender, study location, cancer site, smoking, drinking, body mass index, and physical activity. A total of 281,290 participants were included in this analysis. The significant association between work stress and the risk of colorectal (RR=1.36; 95%CI: 1.16‐1. 59), lung (RR=1.24; 95%CI: 1.02‐1.49), and esophagus (RR=2.12; 95%CI: 1.30‐3.47) cancers were found. A statistically significant effect of work stress on colorectal cancer risk was observed in North America (RR=1.51, 95% CI: 1.23‐1.86, but not significant in Europe (RR= 1.16, 95% CI: 0.90‐1. 48). By contrast, a significant association between work stress and esophagus cancer was found in Europe, but not in North America. In addition, we did not observe any association between work stress and the risk of prostate, breast, or ovarian cancers. Findings of this study show that work stress i s an important risk factor for colorectal, lung, and esophagus cancers. Gene...
Source: International Journal of Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Research Article Source Type: research