Occupational
Examining the relationship between long working hours and cardiovascular health using Life’s Essential 8 Metrics: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018 Annaliese Pena* Jee Won Park James Wallace Annaliese Pena Fadzai Nicola Dube Kareem Khairy Jee Won Park
Long working hours (≥55 hours/week), a growing trend in the workforce, represent a modifiable occupational risk factor with significant implications for cardiovascular health (CVH), yet the link between extended working hours and CVH remains insufficiently characterized. This study examined how long working hours influence overall CVH, and how the relationship differed by sex and depression, thus offering insights into the workplace-related determinants of cardiovascular health outcomes.
We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2011 to 2018 to analyze 6,641 participants (age≥18 years). CVH was assessed using the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8, which evaluates biobehavioral factors (e.g., diet, blood sugar). Adjusted multinomial logistic regression analyses for CVH (high/moderate/low) were performed as a function of working hours (35-40/41-48/49-54/55+ hours per week). We assessed for effect measure modification (EMM) by sex and depression by including relevant product terms in the model.
The adjusted ORs (95% CIs) for high and moderate versus poor CVH among participants with long working hours (55+ hours) compared to standard working hours (35-40 hours) were 0.82 (0.57-1.18) and 0.86 (0.63-1.17), respectively. There was some evidence for EMM by sex and depression. Specifically, the adjusted ORs (95% CIs) for high versus poor CVH among male and female participants were 0.67 (0.40-1.12) and 1.35 (0.78-2.32), and among those with and without depression were 0.31 (0.06-1.59) and 0.84 (0.57-1.25).
Our findings indicated that long working hours were associated with poorer CVH, particularly among male workers and those with higher depressive symptoms. These results emphasize the need for targeted interventions to mitigate workplace-related risks to CVH. Additional prospective studies are needed to establish the temporality of these associations and to capture the long-term effects of long working hours on CVH.
