Job insecurity, financial difficulties and mental health in Europe

Background The recession has increased job insecurity in the European Union (EU) which may result in higher levels of psychological distress, burnout and anxiety. Aims To investigate the association of job insecurity and financial difficulties with mental health in 27 member states of the EU and to explore the moderating effect of having financial difficulties on the relationship between job insecurity and mental health. Methods The sample consisted of employed people from 27 European countries where the Eurobarometer survey (73.2 wave, 2010) was administered by the European Commission. Mental well-being and psychological distress were measured using the Vitality and Mental Health Index (MHI-5) subscales from the Short-Form 36-item health survey (SF-36v2). Linear regression including an interaction term was used to test the underlying factors in this study. Results Among the 12594 respondents, experiencing job insecurity was associated with lower Vitality [β = −3.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) −5.29 to −2.36] and MHI-5 (β = −3.48, 95% CI −4.91 to −2.04). Similarly, having financial difficulties was significantly correlated with lower Vitality (β = −8.65, 95% CI −12.07 to −5.24) and MHI-5 (β = −11.51, 95% CI −15.08 to −7.94). However, having financial difficulties did not moderate the relationship between job insecurity and both mental health scales. Conclusions This study highlights the negative effect of job insecurity and financial difficulties on mental health in the EU. Support to employees facing job security issues should be a priority regardless of the financial circumstances

Accuracy of cuff-measured blood pressure: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Background: Hypertension (HTN) is the single greatest cardiovascular risk factor worldwide. HTN management is usually guided by brachial cuff blood pressure (BP), but questions have been raised regarding accuracy.Objectives: This comprehensive analysis determined the accuracy of cuff BP and the consequent effect on BP classification compared with intra-arterial BP reference standards.Methods: Three individual participant data meta-analyses were conducted among studies (from the 1950s to 2016) that measured intra-arterial aortic BP, intra-arterial brachial BP, and cuff BP.Results: A total of 74 studies with 3,073 participants were included. Intra-arterial brachial systolic blood pressure (SBP) was higher than aortic values (8.0 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.9 to 10.1 mm Hg; p Conclusions: Cuff BP has variable accuracy for measuring either brachial or aortic intra-arterial BP, and this adversely influences correct BP classification. These findings indicate that stronger accuracy standards for BP devices may improve cardiovascular risk management