ARE JOB CHARACTERISTICS RELATED TO FIBRINOGEN LEVELS IN MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN

This study examined whether employment status or job characteristics t hought to be stressful were related to fibrinogen level in a sample of 161 healthy middle-aged women. Employed women had higher fibrinogen l evels than did nonemployed women. Moreover, among employed women, thos e who perceived high levels of job stress or low support from their bo sses had elevated fibrinogen, independent of menopausal status. Percep tion of low support from one's boss was related to higher fibrinogen l evels only among premenopausal women or postmenopausal women who were not using hormone replacement therapy. These results are consistent wi th the notion that stress associated with some job characteristics inf luences levels of fibrinogen in women.