LORRY DRIVERS WORK STRESS EVALUATED BY CATECHOLAMINES EXCRETED IN URINE

Objectives-To evaluate lorry drivers' work stress by measurement of ad renaline and noradrenaline excreted in the urine, and to find out whic h factors in their working situation are related to the excretion rate s of these catecholamines. Methods-The urinary excretion of adrenaline and noradrenaline of 32 lorry drivers, who also had loading and unloa ding activities to perform, was studied for one working day and one re st day. Each driver was asked to provide six urine samples on both day s. Results-For all samples, except the first (overnight) sample, the e xcretion rates of both catecholamines on the working day were higher t han those on the rest day. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses w ere carried out to find out which factors in the drivers' working situ ation were related to the excretion rate of the working day. The excre tion rate of adrenaline on the rest day, age, and psychosomatic compla ints were positively related to the excretion rate on the working day (all P < 0.05). Body mass index and physical workload during loading a nd unloading were positively related to noradrenaline excretion rate ( both P < 0.01). Psychosocial job strain did not significantly contribu te to the proportion of variance explained in the excretion rates of b oth catecholamines. Conclusions-The excretion rates of adrenaline and, especially, noradrenaline on the working day were higher than those f ound in earlier studies among professional drivers and insufficient re covery took place after the work was ended. The only association betwe en excretion rate on the working day and work stressors was found for noradrenaline and physical workload. The drivers) sympathoadrenal medu llary reactivity to everyday work demands shows the characteristics of sustained activation.