The relation between work-induced neuroendocrine reactivity and recovery, subjective need for recovery, and health status

Objectives: The purpose of this cross-sectional study with repeated measure ments was to find out to what extent neuroendocrine reactivity during work and neuroendocrine recovery from work, and work characteristics, are relate d to subjective need for recovery and perceived health status. Methods: Neu roendocrine reactivity and recovery were studied in 59 subjects by measurin g urinary adrenaline and cortisol repeatedly during five consecutive days. Measures of work characteristics, subjective need for recovery, and health status were obtained by self-reports. Two hierarchical multiple linear regr ession analyses were performed. Results: The work characteristics alone exp lained 39% and 28% of the variation in subjective need for recovery and hea lth status, respectively, while these figures rose to 49% and 53% in the fu ll models. Significant neuroendocrine contributors were found for cortisol in reactivity during work and recovery immediately after work and recovery during the day off-work, and for adrenaline in baseline level and recovery during the day off-work. Job characteristics contributed significantly as w ell. Conclusion: Both neuroendocrine measures and work characteristics were predictors for the amount of perceived need for recovery after work as wel l as for health status. The results are consistent with the cognitive activ ation theory of stress. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.