Abstract
Person-related work requires interaction with individuals not employed at the workplace, such as clients and patients, and can result in emotional labour, emotional demands, and confrontation. These stressors may increase workers' risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, whereas colleagues' support may help buffer their impact. We aimed to examine the association between person-related work and the risk of CVD, and effect modification of social support at work. The study included around two million CVD-free workers aged 40-60 years in Sweden in 2006. Three dimensions of person-related work, including general contact with people, emotional demands, and confrontation, and job control and social support were respectively assessed using job exposure matrices. CVDs in 2007-20 were recorded in patient and death registers. Multivariable Cox regression models were used. A total of 114 404 individuals developed CVD (65 857 CHD and 48 547 stroke). High exposures to the three dimensions were associated with 4%-12% increased risks of CVD (7%-20% for CHD and 2%-7% for stroke) in women and 2%-8% (2%-7% for CHD and 3%-10% for stroke) in men. Adjusting for job control attenuated the associations for general contact with people in women. The increased risks related to emotional demands and confrontation in women and general contact with people and confrontation in men were not present in those more likely to receive high social support. In conclusion, person-related work is associated with an increased risk of CVD, and social support at work seems to modify the magnitude of this association.