Associations Between Occupational Status, Support at Work, and Salivary Cortisol Levels.

Hot flashes and midlife symptoms in relation to levels of salivary cortisol

Introduction: Salesmen’s job is focused on promoting a product directly to consumers. Household appliances are one of the products that is often promoted by salesmen. While carrying out marketing activities, they will always be faced with various job factors that can cause job stress. This research was conducted to analyze the correlation between job stressors and job stress levels among salesmen. Method: This research was observational research with a cross-sectional approach. Both population and samples of this research were 30 salesmen of household appliance trading in Kediri City. The sampling technique used was total sampling. Variables used in this research were job stressor including role conflict, role ambiguity, interpersonal conflict, job uncertainty, total workload, and mental demands with job stress levels. Results: The results showed that most salesmen experienced job stressors either in high, moderate or low category. Most of the salesmen experienced normal job stress level. There is relationship between job stressors consisting of role conflict (0.673), role ambiguity (0.455), interpersonal conflict (0.262), job uncertainty (0.683), total workload (0.526) and mental demands (0.859) with job stress levels on salesmen. Conclusion: An increase in job stressor conditions experienced by salesmen will be followed by an increase in job stress levels, and vice versa. Out of all, mental demands have the strongest relationship to job stress levels on salesmen. So it is necessary to make efforts to suppress existing job stressors so that an increase of job stress levels on salesmen can be prevented.

The present study aimed to evaluate the association between caries and oral health status, age, salivary cortisol levels, and parental education in children with and without prior dental caries experience. An observational case-control study was performed including 122 children aged between 3 and 6 years who were clinically examined for caries experience using the sum of decayed, missing, and filled teeth in the primary (dmft index) and permanent (DMFT index) dentition. Oral health status was also evaluated using the Simplified Oral Hygiene index (OHI-S). Parents filled a questionnaire to provide information on other variables. Salivary cortisol levels were estimated 1 h after routine dental brushing. We found that dental caries experience was associated with cortisol level, plaque, age, and high calculus levels. High cortisol levels and age are important risk factors for caries development with odds ratios of 3.05 (95% CI: 1.84-5.06) and 1.59 (95% CI: 1.09-2.58), respectively. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that cortisol level and age were independently associated with caries presence. Caries experience was not associated with education of parents, feeding-hygiene habits of child or birth events. The present findings support the hypothesis that caries is mainly correlated with high salivary cortisol levels. Dental caries experience in children was also positively associated with tartar, plaque, and age.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dental caries, dental anxiety, and salivary cortisol levels in children visiting pediatric dental clinics and their implications on pediatric oral health. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a dental university in the UAE. A total of 60 children, aged 4-12 years, were included. Salivary cortisol levels were measured using an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kit. Dental caries status was evaluated, and dental anxiety levels were assessed using the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS). Statistical analyses, including Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson's correlation coefficient, were performed to determine significant differences and associations. The study group showed significantly higher salivary cortisol levels compared to the control group (p < 0.0001). A strong positive correlation was found between salivary cortisol levels and dental caries status (p < 0.001). However, no significant difference in dental anxiety levels was observed between the study and control groups (p = 0.85). A strong positive correlation was found between dental anxiety levels and dental caries status (p < 0.001). The findings indicate a significant association between salivary cortisol levels and dental caries, suggesting that higher cortisol levels are associated with active caries. Dental anxiety levels were positively correlated with dental caries. Understanding the relationship between these variables can contribute to better oral health strategies and interventions for children, emphasizing the importance of managing dental anxiety and stress in pediatric dental care. This study highlights the potential of salivary cortisol as a biomarker for assessing stress and its impact on oral health in children. By addressing dental anxiety and stress, dental professionals can provide child-friendly dental care, enhance preventive measures, and improve oral health outcomes in pediatric patients.

Too little has been published on emotional intelligence in the public sector, despite the scientific literature’s increased interest in the concept in recent years. The present research aim is to analyze whether and how public employees’ emotional intelligence (EI) has an influence on their job stress (JS) level and willingness to deliver quality and performant public services (WDQS). In order to investigate the hypotheses, the study used a quantitative methodology and a conceptual deductive research technique based on a conceptual framework. For statistical analysis, we used the SPSS Statistics 22.0 program. This made it possible for us to build descriptive analyses and run several parametric tests to achieve the primary goal of our study. The findings showed that the employees of the National Agency for Public Procurement from Romania (ANAP) registered an average to above average EI level (M = 4.99), with no relevant significant influence on their stress level, and with a weak influence on their willingness to deliver quality public services. The study’s respondents, although they register a high level of job stress (M = 5.44), demonstrated an average desire to deliver qualitative services to different stakeholders (M = 4.89), with low to average impact on the provided public services’ performance (M = 3.19). From all the main sample characteristics, only the occupied position in the organization (independent variable) had a positive significant influence on employees’ EI and JS level. In order to allow for comparisons of the results with those of the current study, future research should combine various methods of measuring emotional intelligence, job stress and public employees’ willingness to provide quality and performant public services.

Recent laboratory studies have shown that men display more risk-taking behavior in decision-making tasks following stress, whilst women are more risk-aversive or become more task-focused. In addition, these studies have shown that sex differences are related to levels of the stress hormone cortisol (indicative of activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical-axis): the higher the levels of cortisol the more risk-taking behavior is shown by men, whereas women generally display more risk-aversive or task-focused behavior following higher levels of cortisol. Here, we assessed whether such relationships hold outside the laboratory, correlating levels of cortisol obtained during a job-related assessment procedure with decision-making parameters in the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT) in male and female police recruits. The CGT allows for discriminating different aspects of reward-based decision-making. In addition, we correlated levels of alpha-amylase [indicative of activation of the sympatho-adrenomedullary-axis (SAM)] and decision-making parameters. In line with earlier studies men and women only differed in risk-adjustment in the CGT. Salivary cortisol levels correlated positively and strongly with risk-taking measures in men, which was significantly different from the weak negative correlation in women. In contrast, and less strongly so, salivary alpha-amylase levels correlated positively with risk-taking in women, which was significantly different from the weak negative correlation with risk-taking in men. Collectively, these data support and extend data of earlier studies indicating that risky decision-making in men and women is differently affected by stress hormones. The data are briefly discussed in relation to the effects of stress on gambling.

Background: Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is not the same as occupational activity. Various factors influence both forms of physical activity, including job stress and job satisfaction, but the associations found are weak, and the need for new studies in large populations is emphasized. The objective was to study the relationship between job stress and job satisfaction, and the relationship between these and occupational and leisure-time physical activity according to the National Survey of Health 2017. Methods: A population-based study of 8716 workers between 18 and 65 years of age. The variables age, sex, leisure, and occupational-time physical activity (OTPA), educational level, type of occupation, job stress level, and job satisfaction were collected. A simple and multiple correspondence analysis was performed between the variables that reached statistical significance. Results: 4621 cases (53.02%) correspond to men with a mean age of 44.83 years (SD 10.22) and 4095 cases to women with a mean age of 44.55 years (SD 10.23). Women had higher percentages of higher education (p < 0.001), intermediate to high occupations and unskilled (p < 0.001), job stress (p < 0.001), covered the most extreme levels of satisfaction (p = 0.003), and do less LTPA (p < 0.001) and OTPA (p < 0.001). Also, in women a relationship was found between job stress and LTPA (p = 0.024), as well as between satisfaction and both forms of physical activity (OTPA p = 0.013 and LTPA p < 0.001). In men, significance was only reached in the relationship between job stress and OTPA (p <0.001). Conclusions. The higher the job stress, the less the job satisfaction, but the relationship is reversed in the intermediate categories. For both sexes, job stress is related to a sedentary lifestyle and higher employment and education levels. Higher levels of satisfaction correspond to higher levels of occupancy. The relationship between job satisfaction and educational level is direct in women but inverse in men. In women, there is a relationship between sedentary occupations and job satisfaction. In addition, intense physical activity at work is related to higher levels of job stress, lower satisfaction levels, and less physical activity in leisure-time.

Animal studies have found that prior stressful events can result in increased reactivity in the HPA-axis. However, baseline function of the HPA-axis has typically been normal or decreased in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The first purpose of this study was to assess cortisol responsivity to traumatic reminders in women with PTSD related to childhood abuse. The second aim was to assess the relationship between stress-induced cortisol levels and neutral and emotional memory. Salivary cortisol levels were measured before, during and after exposure to personalized trauma scripts in abused women with (N=12) and without current PTSD (N=12). Memory for neutral and emotional material was assessed immediately after trauma scripts exposure and 3 days later. PTSD patients had 122% higher cortisol levels during script exposure, 69% higher cortisol levels during recovery, and 60% higher levels in the period leading up to the script exposure compared to controls. PTSD symptoms were highly predictive of cortisol levels during trauma script exposure (r=0.70), but not during periods of rest. Both in PTSD patients and controls, memory consolidation after the trauma scripts was impaired relative to baseline (P<0.001), with no differences between the two groups on memory performance. There was no association between memory performance and cortisol levels. These results are consistent with higher cortisol levels following exposure to traumatic stressors in PTSD.

Objectives: Workload is known to affect the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. Although many studies had revealed that job stress related factors could affect the neuroendocrine system among blue-collar workers, these studies had limitations as they had not evaluated the workload by objective methods which took into consideration individual physiological differences. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of physical workload adjusted job stress on cortisol regulation by using objective tools for workers having various job tasks. Methods: Among 110 foundry workers, shipyard workers, and fine machine assemblers for whom saliva samples were obtained, 102 without any past history of conditions that could affect hormonal regulation such as diabetes, and hypertension were included in this study. Among the 102 study participants, 15 workers whose saliva for morning or afternoon or heart rate monitoring data was not attained were excluded from the final analysis. Workload was evaluated by RHR (relative heart rate) using a heart rate monitor, and job stress was evaluated by Karasek’s Job Content Questionnaire. Saliva samples were gathered during 8~9 am and 5~6 pm, and salivary cortisol levels were analysed by radioimmunoassay. Results: After adjusting several variables which could effect cortisol secretion including job stress, among the higher RHR group morning salivary cortisol level was increased (β=60.32, S.E.=26.35, p=0.0266), afternoon salivary cortisol level was decreased (β=-7.43, S.E.=29.73, p=0.8044), and salivary cortisol level difference between morning and afternoon was increased (β=72.10, SE=35.50, p=0.0509). Conclusions: As physical workload increases morning cortisol level, which is caused by the effect of arousal, and decreases afternoon cortisol level, which is caused by exhaustion, physical workload enlarges the width of diurnal cortisol variance. Therefore, physical exhaustion due to excessive workload could have adverse effects on the neuroendocrine system.

Background and Objectives: (1) To investigate the relationship of salivary and plasma cortisol levels in preterm infants with a focus on the usability of salivary cortisol in diagnostic work-up of infants at risk of adrenal insufficiency. (2) To perform a systematic review addressing this question. Methods:Clinical study: We conducted a prospective observational single-center study in preterm infants. We analyzed plasma and saliva cortisol concentrations by enzyme immunoassay. Correlation analysis was used to determine the relation between salivary and plasma cortisol levels and the agreement of the measurement methods was analyzed according to Bland-Altman. Systematic review: A systematic literature search (PubMed and Embase) on the relationship of salivary and plasma cortisol levels in neonates was performed in November 2012. Results:Clinical study: We enrolled 58 preterm infants (median (interquartile range) gestational age at birth was 31.4 (28.1-32.7) weeks, birth weight 1,340 (974-1,745) g, respectively). Correlation analyses revealed a relationship of plasma cortisol and salivary cortisol levels. Rank correlation coefficient was 0.6. Estimating plasma cortisol levels based on measured salivary cortisol levels showed poor agreement of the two methods for determining plasma cortisol levels (direct and via salivary cortisol). Sensitivity and specificity of salivary cortisol for the detection of adrenal insufficiency were 0.66 and 0.62, respectively. Systematic review: Six studies in preterm infants and term neonates depicting the correlation of salivary and plasma cortisol were identified with a range of saliva-plasma correlation coefficients from 0.44 to 0.83. Conclusions: Substitution of plasma cortisol by salivary cortisol determination cannot be recommended in preterm infants because of unsatisfactory agreement between methods.

As a screening test for Cushing's syndrome, the evaluation of late-night cortisol levels is indispensable. We evaluated the usefulness and accuracy of plasma, urinary, and salivary cortisol levels measured late at night for the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome. High cortisol levels (> 5 microg/dL) during the night are indicative of Cushing's syndrome, although night plasma cortisol levels are not readily reproducible because of the stressful situation. There was no correlation between plasma and urinary cortisol levels late at night, and late-night urinary cortisol levels provided weak information for the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome. By contrast, late-night plasma and salivary cortisol levels showed a positive correlation, and salivary cortisol sampling was found to be useful for the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome, because more than 0.4 microg/dL of late-night salivary cortisol levels gave a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 100% in our hospital. This method is also useful for the diagnosis of early or mild stage Cushing's syndrome, so-called subclinical Cushing's syndrome. Inherent differences between assays make it difficult to define optimal diagnostic criteria. However, the relative levels of salivary cortisol ratio, which is presented as a relative level, compared with the mean levels of healthy subjects in each institute, is useful for the screening of Cushing's syndrome as the cut-off level of 1.5 shows both high sensitivity and specificity in subclinical and overt Cushing's syndrome. Late-night salivary cortisol measurement is therefore a primary method of choice in the screening of patients suspected of having Cushing's syndrome.

This study was conducted with the aim of providing baseline data for the establishment of policies for system enhancement, by identifying the influences of work satisfaction and job stress on turnover intention within the nursing force in the Comprehensive Nursing Service ward, a newly adopted service, and the General ward. The study subjects were nurses in the General and Comprehensive Nursing Service wards at two hospitals in Seoul, and one in Gyeonggi region. The survey was conducted in the form of a self-administered questionnaire. The study discovered no significant disparities between the two groups, with regard to the salience of the variables, namely, turnover intention and work satisfaction and job stress levels. In both groups, there was a significant negative correlation between work satisfaction level and turnover intention, and between turnover intention and job stress level. Moreover, in both groups, work satisfaction and job stress levels had significant influences on turnover intention. In conclusion, to enable the establishment of the Comprehensive Nursing Service ward system as an effective healthcare management system, nurses’ work satisfaction and job stress levels must become critical factors of consideration. It is necessary for the system to evolve into a form that is satisfactory to patients, families, and nurses.

Abolished circadian rhythm of salivary cortisol in elite artistic gymnasts

Background/objectives: Aging is associated with a decline in physiological and cognitive functions. Periodontitis, a disease affecting the periodontal tissues, increases in prevalence with age. Bacteria and inflammatory mediators resulting from periodontitis can trigger neuroinflammation and potentially accelerate the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the association between periodontal status, salivary flow rate, salivary cortisol levels, and cytokine levels with cognitive status in elderly Indonesian subjects. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 70 participants aged ≥ 60 years from several social institutions in Jakarta and the Dental Hospital, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Indonesia. All participants provided written informed consent before the examination. Periodontal parameters, including plaque score, calculus index, bleeding on probing, number of remaining teeth, and functional tooth units, were assessed. Unstimulated salivary flow was collected over five minutes, and salivary cortisol levels were measured. Gingival crevicular fluid samples from the deepest periodontal pockets were collected to measure cytokine levels (TNF-α and IL-1β). Both cortisol and cytokine levels were analyzed using ELISA. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test. Results: Plaque score, calculus index, and bleeding on probing were moderately associated with cognitive scores (p < 0.05). In contrast, the number of remaining teeth, functional tooth units, periodontitis severity, salivary flow rate, salivary cortisol, and cytokine levels were not significantly associated with cognitive scores (p > 0.05). Conclusions: These findings suggest that elderly individuals with cognitive impairment tend to have poorer periodontal health than those with normal cognitive function.

To investigate the variables predicting job stress and intention to leave the job among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. This research was designed as an analytical cross-sectional study. The population of the study consisted of 450 nurses working in a training and research hospital (N = 450). The study sample consisted of 178 nurses who worked in that hospital between February and July 2021. The Nurse Information Form, Job Stress Scale, and Intention to Leave Scale were used as data collection tools. The independent-sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation analysis were applied for univariate analysis while multiple regression analysis was used for multivariate analysis. It was determined that the main factors predicting nurses' job stress levels were their Intention to Leave Scale scores, level of organizational satisfaction. The main factors predicting intention to leave were their Job Stress Scale scores, working conditions, and job satisfaction. A positive moderate correlation was found between job stress and intention to leave. This study demostares that among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the predictors of job stress were intention to leave and organizational satisfaction, while the predictors of turnover intention included job stress, working conditions, and job satisfaction. Hospital managers, especially nursing services managers, should develop strategies for extraordinary situations such as pandemics and evaluate the professional satisfaction of nurses while providing a healthy working environment. No patient or public contributions.