The Protective Role of Job Control/Autonomy on Mental Strain of Managers: A Cross-Sectional Study among Wittyfit's Users

Rémi Colin-Chevalier, Bruno Pereira, Amanda Clare Benson, Samuel Dewavrin, Thomas Cornet, Frédéric Dutheil, Rémi Colin-Chevalier, Bruno Pereira, Amanda Clare Benson, Samuel Dewavrin, Thomas Cornet, Frédéric Dutheil

Abstract

Background: Karasek's Job Demand-Control-Support model is the gold standard to assess the perception of work; however, this model has been poorly studied among managers. We aimed to explore the perception of work (job demand, control, and support) in managers, and to quantify their risk of job strain (high job demand and low job control) and isostrain (job strain with low job support).

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on workers from various French companies using the Wittyfit software. Job demand, control, and support were evaluated by self-reported questionnaires, as well as sociodemographic data.

Results: We included 9257 workers: 8488 employees (median age of 45 years, median seniority of 10 years, 39.4% women) and 769 managers (463 were more than 45 years old, 343 with more than 10 years of service, 33.3% women). Managers had higher mean ± SD levels than employees in job control (79.2 ± 14.9 vs. 75.4 ± 16.9) and job support (25.2 ± 5.1 vs. 24.0 ± 6.1) (p < 0.001). Compared to employees, managers had a 37% decreased risk of job strain (OR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.77) and a 47% decreased risk of isostrain (OR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.69) (p < 0.001). Workers over age 45 (OR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.40, p < 0.001) and women (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.01 to 1. 25, p = 0.03) were at greater risk of job strain. Furthermore, workers over age 45 (OR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.32 to 1.73, p < 0.001), workers with over 10 years of service (OR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.56, p < 0.001), and women (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.31, p = 0.04) were at greater risk of isostrain.

Conclusions: Managers seem to have higher autonomy and greater social support and therefore are less at risk of job strain or isostrain than employees. Other factors such as age, seniority, and sex may influence this relationship.

Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02596737.

Keywords: Karasek’s model; isostrain; job control; job demand; job strain; job support; manager; work.

Conflict of interest statement

R.C.-C., S.D. and T.C. are employed by Wittyfit. The other authors declare that no competing interests exist (F.D. is responsible for the scientific accuracy of Wittyfit but is not paid by Wittyfit; as previously published, Wittyfit is a public–private partnership with the CHU Clermont-Ferrand).

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of Wittyfit’s users.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Job demand, job control, and job support by position. Legend: *** p < 0.001.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Karasek’s Job Demand-Control-Support model. Point ranges are expressed as means and standard errors. Job demand varies from 9 to 36, job control from 24 to 96.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Prevalence of job strain and isostrain by job position. Legend: *** p < 0.001.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Sociodemographic factors of the Karasek model dimensions. A colored circle means that the measured effect is significant. The reference classes (REF) of the different parameters are the following: age: workers under 45; seniority: workers with less than 10 years of service; sex: male; job position: employee.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Sociodemographic factors of job strain and isostrain. A colored circle means that the measured effect is significant. The reference classes (REF) of the different parameters are the following: age: workers under 45; seniority: workers with under less than 10 years of service; sex: male; job position: employee.

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