Predicting the onset of hypertension for workers: does including work characteristics improve risk predictive accuracy?
Pubmed ID: 35277589
Pubmed Central ID: PMC8914447
Journal: Journal of human hypertension
Publication Date: March 1, 2023
MeSH Terms: Humans, Risk Factors, United States, Hypertension, Young Adult, Occupations, Workplace
Grants: T42OH008434, P2C HD041023
Authors: Chantarat T, Enns EA, Hardeman RR, McGovern PM
Cite As: Chantarat T, McGovern PM, Enns EA, Hardeman RR. Predicting the onset of hypertension for workers: does including work characteristics improve risk predictive accuracy? J Hum Hypertens 2023 Mar;37(3):220-226. Epub 2022 Mar 11.
Studies:
Abstract
Despite extensive evidence of work as a key social determinant of hypertension, risk prediction equations incorporating this information are lacking. Such limitations hinder clinicians' ability to tailor patient care and comprehensively address hypertension risk factors. This study examined whether including work characteristics in hypertension risk equations improves their predictive accuracy. Using occupation ratings from the Occupational Information Network database, we measured job demand, job control, and supportiveness of supervisors and coworkers for occupations in the United States economy. We linked these occupation-based measures with the employment status and health data of participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. We fit logistic regression equations to estimate the probability of hypertension onset in five years among CARDIA participants with and without variables reflecting work characteristics. Based on the Harrell's c- and Hosmer-Lemeshow's goodness-of-fit statistics, we found that our logistic regression models that include work characteristics predict hypertension onset more accurately than those that do not incorporate these variables. We also found that the models that rely on occupation-based measures predict hypertension onset more accurately for White than Black participants, even after accounting for a sample size difference. Including other aspects of work, such as workers' experience in the workplace, and other social determinants of health in risk equations may eliminate this discrepancy. Overall, our study showed that clinicians should examine workers' work-related characteristics to tailor hypertension care plans appropriately.