Stay Healthy When Your Work Affects Your Wellness Programs: See Poll

WEDNESDAY, July 13, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Many Americans think their job takes a toll on everything from their health and stress levels to their eating and sleeping habits, a new poll found.

"The takeaway here is that job number one for U.S. employers is to reduce stress in the workplace," said poll director Robert Blendon. He is the Richard L. Menschel Professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

The poll, which included phone interviews with more than 1,600 workers in the United States, found that 44 percent think their job affects their overall health. And only 28 percent of those people believe the influence is positive.

Among the 16 percent who think their job is taking a toll on their health are those with disabilities, those with dangerous jobs, those working more than 50 hours a week, those working in retail and those earning low wages.

Stress is a significant problem among American workers, the poll found. Forty-three say their job is contributing to their stress. Nearly 30 percent also say their job influences their eating and sleeping habits, while 22 percent say the work they do affects their weight.

 

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