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Strenuous Working Environment Leads to Diabetes

by Anne Trueman on May 24 2013 11:11 AM
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According to the scientists working in strenuous environment, healthy individuals too are exposed to the threat of developing diabetes.

The present lifestyle is strenuous and full of competitions. Innumerable tensions surround our daily life. The tension of meeting with deadlines and hours of hard work accompanied with insufficient social support can result in the development of diabetes.

Sharon Toker, Ph.D., of Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Management, and the lead author said, "You don’t want to see working populations have an increasing rate of diabetes. It’s costly to both employees and employers, resulting in absenteeism and triggering expensive medical insurance."

The researchers conducted a study for analyzing the relationship between working conditions and development of diabetes type 2. The study was later published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.

Around 5,843 volunteers were enrolled for the purpose of study irrespective of sex and the average age being 48 years. At the onset of the study a thorough routine general physical examination was done. All the volunteers were physically fit and had no signs of diabetes.

The scientists asked the participants to provide complete details about their working conditions and were asked questions pertaining to workload, work space, social support and their targets. The health status of the volunteers was recorded by the doctors for 41 months and it was found that 182 volunteers developed diabetes. The researchers noted that lack or insufficient supportive environment is vital for the development of the disease.

The study revealed that individuals working in supportive working environment had 22 percent less chances of being affected by the ailment as compared to those individuals who felt more stressed, strained and isolated in the working environment.

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The scientists also highlighted an important point that both over-workload and under-workload act as stress-triggers. During the study it was seen that volunteers who felt under and over stressed had 18 percent more chances of being affected by type 2 diabetes.

The researchers firmly said that it is essential for the employees to create a healthy balance between workload and social environment. It is important to have a strong social support system such as appreciating work performance, better communication with fellow workers, etc.

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Source-Medindia


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