Working Conditions, Job Dissatisfaction and Smoking Behaviours Among French Clerks and Manual Workers

International audience; Objective: To study the relationships between working conditions, job dissatisfaction and smoking behaviors among clerks and manual workers. Methods: We used data from the French Health Barometer, a cross-sectional telephone survey conducted among a national random sample (N = 4825). Regarding working conditions, the questionnaire dealt with reported job satisfaction, psychological demands and mental workload, physical demands, latitude decision and work schedule. Results: Manual workers and clerks who reported strong dissatisfaction toward unhealthy working conditions also reported more frequently current smoking, tobacco dependence, potential alcohol dependence and perceived stress. After adjusting for socio-demographic confounders, perceived working conditions and job dissatisfaction remained correlated with smoking and tobacco dependence. Conclusions: Poor working conditions may heavily contribute to health inequalities, as they are likely to fuel both stress and unhealthy behaviors, which combine to increase morbidity and mortality. (C)2009The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine