EFFECTS OF LIFE-STYLE AND STRESS ON THE EMPLOYEE AND ORGANIZATION - IMPLICATIONS FOR PROMOTING HEALTH AT WORK

This research was designed to determine the extent to which employee h ealth and performance are predicted by lifestyle and stress. Data were collected from 345 employees working in a variety of organizations in southern California. Additionally, supervisors evaluated the work per formance of the participating employees whom they directly supervised, and company records of employee health care costs were obtained. Hier archical multiple regression analyses revealed (a) that physical lifes tyle (i.e., exercise pattern, eating habits, and general health practi ces) predicted unique variance in vitality and positive well-being; (b ) that psychosocial lifestyle (i.e., social relations, intellectual ac tivity, occupational conditions, and spiritual involvement) predicted unique variance in vitality, positive well-being, anxiety, depression, lack of self-control, and somatic complaints; (c) that employee stres s predicted unique variance in vitality, positive well-being, anxiety, depression, physician visits, somatic complaints, illness absences, a nd supervisory ratings of job performance, absenteeism and tardiness; (d) that physical lifestyle buffered the adverse consequences of stres s for anxiety, depression, physician visits, and company health care c osts; and (e) that there was a Physical x Psychosocial Lifestyle inter action for anxiety, depression, and lack of self-control. However, the employee lifestyle factors were not related to supervisory ratings of performance at work. The findings have direct implications for organi zational health programs and policies.