Objective: To investigate the association between occupational stress and carotid atherosclerosis among the workers in a steel plant. Methods: In October 2018, a total of 2947 workers from a steel plant, who underwent occupational health examination in the center for occupational health examination from March to May 2017, were selected as subjects. Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) were used to investigate the job content and the degree of occupational stress. According to the results of carotid artery examination, the subjects were divided into normal carotid artery group with 2013 workers, increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) group with 277 workers, stable plaque group with 236 workers, and unstable plaque group with 421 workers. A unified questionnaire was distributed to each group, and related physical and biochemical examinations were performed. A multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the risk factors for unstable plaque. Results: There were significant differences between the groups in sex, educational level, marital status, work in shifts, smoking, drinking, age, and working years (P<0.05) , while there was no significant difference in exercise between groups (P>0.05) . Based on the JCQ score, 761 (25.8%) had no stress, 959 (32.5%) had mild stress, 699 (23.7%) had moderate stress, and 528 (17.9%) had severe stress; based on the ERI score, 2526 (85.7%) had high effort and low reward and 421 (14.3%) did not have the high-effort and low-reward conditions. There was a significant difference in the composition of JCQ and ERI scores between groups (P<0.05) . Moderate stress (odds ratio [OR]=1.695) , severe stress (OR=5.443) , ERI (OR=7.391) , work in shift (OR=1.784) , old age (OR=1.009) , high systolic blood pressure (OR=1.105) , high fasting blood glucose (OR=1.212) , abnormal total cholesterol (OR=3.693) , abnormal apolipoprotein B (OR=39.215) , and abnormal high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (OR=1.632) were the risk factors for unstable plaque. Conclusion: Occupational stress may be involved in the development of carotid atherosclerosis.
目的： 探究某钢铁厂工人职业应激与颈动脉粥样硬化的关系。 方法： 于2018年10月，选取某钢铁厂2017年3至5月在其职业健康体检中心进行职业健康检查的工人作为研究对象，共2 947人。采用《工作内容问卷》（JCQ）和《付出-回报失衡（ERI）问卷》进行工作内容和职业应激程度调查。根据工人颈动脉检查情况分为颈动脉检查正常组（2 013人）、颈动脉内膜中层厚度（IMT）增厚组（277人）、稳定斑块组（236人）、不稳定斑块组（421人）。对各组工人进行统一问卷咨询以及相关体格和生化检查，对不稳定性斑块影响因素进行多因素非条件logistic回归分析。 结果： 各组工人性别、教育水平、婚姻状况、倒班、吸烟、饮酒分布及年龄、工龄差异均有统计学意义（P<0.05）,各组间锻炼情况差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。JCQ评分中，零紧张者761例（25.8%），轻度紧张者959例（32.6%），中度紧张者699例（23.7%），重度紧张者528例（17.9%）；ERI评分中，高付出低回报者共2 526例（85.7%），非高付出低回报者共421例（14.3%）；各组JCQ、ERI评分构成差异均有统计学意义（P<0.05）。中度紧张、重度紧张、ERI、倒班、年龄高、收缩压高、空腹血糖高以及总胆固醇、载脂蛋白B和高敏C反应蛋白异常是不稳定斑块的危险因素，OR值分别为1.695、5.443、7.391、1.784、1.009、1.105、1.212、3.693、39.215、1.632。 结论： 职业应激可能影响颈动脉粥样硬化的发生。.
Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Carotid artery; Occupational stress; Plaque.