Health of Office Workers in the Québec Civil Service: An Empirical Study

This is the first study of its kind in Québec to present a veritable overview of health, based on a vast sample of office employees and compared with results obtained from other groups. The employees concerned were normally not exposed to chemical, physical or biological dangers at works. They were, nevertheless, subject to psycho-social dangers which are, of course, more difficult to determine.

Health problems among these employees were detected as a result of a medical examination including: blood pressure tests, biological analyses and, for those 40 and over, electrocardiograms. The medical history of each participant was established in which particular attention was devoted to the taking of medication, treatment for diabetes, hypercholesterolemia or arterial tension, as well as previous Personal and family characteristics.

Life habits were examined through replies to a questionnaire filled in by each participant before his medical examination. The following variables were tested: level of physical activity; consumption of alcohol, tobacco and medication. Mental health was examined in two ways: medical history and medical interview on the one hand, and a scale of psychological health included in the questionnaire on the other. Finally, work environment was examined with reference to scales of works satisfaction, organizational climate, and job characteristics.

More that 1 300 Québec Government civil servants participated in this inquiry and undertook the required medical examination. Results include: contrary to pre-conceived notions about sedentary employees, the cardio-vascular system of civil servants is in good condition. The same cannot be said for the nervous System, where the main problems detected are psychic disorders and excessive consumption of soporifics and tranquilizers. The article describes these results in détail.