Preemployment family factors as predictors of effort/reward imbalance in adulthood: a prospective 18-year follow-up in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study

Abstract

Objective: We prospectively examined whether preemployment family factors predict adulthood work stress manifested as effort-reward imbalance (ERI).

Methods: The study sample comprised 746 participants from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Data were collected by questionnaires. The parents reported their socioeconomic position and life satisfaction in 1983 when the participants were at age 6 to 21. The participants reported ERI in 2001 at age 24 to 39.

Results: High rewards were predicted by high parental life satisfaction in men and by high parental socioeconomic position in women. The association between higher parental socioeconomic position and higher efforts was mediated by participant's education. Preemployment family factors were not associated with the total ERI.

Conclusions: Although preemployment family factors were associated with the reward and effort components, they seemed to have little effect on the total ERI.