Demanda e controle no trabalho e hipertensão arterial: validade dimensional e meta-análise

Abstract

Proposed in the 1970´s, the demand control model stated that workers in high strain jobs, a combination of high levels of psychological demands and low levels of control, have an increased risk of stress-related outcomes, particularly cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire (DCSQ) and to conduct a meta-analysis of published studies about the association of job strain and hypertension. Three articles were presented. The first article evaluated the dimensional validity and internal consistency of the Brazilian version of DCSQ, when applied to hospital and restaurant workers in Rio de Janeiro. The second article compared the psychometric properties of the Swedish and Brazilian versions of DCSQ, when applied to hospital workers. The third article presented a meta-analysis of the association studies of job strain and hypertension. The results evidenced a three-factor structure of the DCSQ, which was equivalent in the Brazilian and Swedish versions and closely related to psychological demands, skill discretion and decision authority dimensions. The best fit model was achieved by excluding the social support at work dimension and the item repetitive work (skill discretion). The meta-analysis revealed no association between high strain, and related dimensions, and hypertension in samples restricted to European countries, USA and Japan, in which heterogeneity between studies was evidenced.