Sex differences in the relationship between work and health: The Minnesota Heart Survey

This study compares the impact of job experiences and related attitudes and behaviors on men's and women's risk of cardiovascular disease. Data from the Minnesota Heart Survey of approximately 2,500 employed persons are analyzed using path analysis. The job experiences examined had few powerful consequences for risk of coronary heart disease. Occupational mobility has a slightly stronger effect on men's risk than on women's, and working long hours has more detrimental consequences for health behaviors than for blood pressure or serum cholesterol level. In contrast, job experiences have considerable consequences for individual attitudes and behaviors, and these effects are generally stronger for men than women. While women report greater levels of stress than men, work hours and job deadlines contribute more substantially to stress among men.