A forward-facilitating influence of cortisol on catecholamines assessed during the work of garbage collectors

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objectives. In this study, the hypothesis was tested of whether part of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system can have a facilitating influence on mean adrenomedullary reactivity during a workday. Methods. Data of a field study on 115 male garbage collectors were used for this purpose. Catecholamines and cortisol were assessed by urinary sampling during a workday and during a day off. The within-subjects baseline levels of the catecholamines, personal factors, physical work load, and work characteristics were controlled for in the analyses. Results. The results showed that there is reason to assume a 'forward-facilitating influence' between the aforementioned systems. The morning cortisol excretion rate explained a reasonable amount of the mean catecholamine excretion rates during a workday. The morning cortisol level explained more variance in the adrenaline than in the noradrenaline values, and for both catecholamines the influence of cortisol was more pronounced than the influence of psychosocial stress factors like autonomy and job demands. Conclusions. The morning level of cortisol proved to be a more powerful predictor of the reactivity of adrenaline than that of noradrenaline during work. The association between the pituitary adrenacortical system and the adrenomedullary system could therefore be a 'forward-facilitating influence'. It is recommended that future research should focus on cortisol as the predictor of neuroendocrine reactivity and on determining whether this predictive power is expandable to work-induced health complaints.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)26-31
Number of pages6
JournalScandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health
Volume26
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2000

Keywords

  • Adrenaline
  • Cortisol
  • Noradrenaline
  • Psychosocial factors
  • Stress
  • Work characteristics
  • Work load

Cite this