Social adversity in adolescence increases the physiological vulnerability to job strain in adulthood: a prospective population-based study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

It has been argued that the association between job strain and health could be confounded by early life exposures, and studies have shown early adversity to increase individual vulnerability to later stress. We therefore investigated if early life exposure to adversity increases the individual's physiological vulnerability job strain in adulthood.

Methodology/principal findings

In a population-based cohort (343 women and 330 men, 83% of the eligible participants), we examined the association between on the one hand exposure to adversity in adolescence, measured at age 16, and job strain measured at age 43, and on the other hand allostatic load at age 43. Adversity was operationalised as an index comprising residential mobility and crowding, parental loss, parental

SUBMITTER: Westerlund H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3338487 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature