cortisol and its health impacts

每日一樽加速代謝皮質醇

Cortisol and its Health ImpactsPresenter: Dr. Leung Yiu Kin

Associate Professor, Psychology Department, CUHK

Dr. Chung Ting Yiu Programme Director, Public Opinion Programme,

HKU

Date: November 10, 2003


Survey on Cortisol and its Health

Impacts

Presenter: Dr Chung Ting YiuProgramme Director, Public Opinion

Programme, HKU


RESEARCH OVERVIEWObjective To understand the level of awareness and

knowledge of stress hormone induced health problems and its impacts on Hong Kong working population

Targets 18-49 year old, full time worker, Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong resident

Date October 23 – 25, 2003

Organization The University of Hong Kong Public Opinion Programme

Method Telephone interview through random sampling

Successful response

610 people

Success rate 72.7% (based on qualified targets)

Sampling error Less than 2.0%


Call detailsSuccessful

rate:

72.7%

Unable to identify whether

numbers are qualified:

1,505

Qualified numbers but

unable conduct interview:

637

Total dialed numbers:

3,756

Unqualified numbers:

1,004

Successful

interviews:

610


Demographic Information


GENDER

46%

54%

Successful Samples: 610

MALEFEMALE


AGE


37%

40%

23%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

40-49 years old

30-39 years old

18-29 years old


OCCUPATION

1%

4%

7%

17%

21%

22%

30%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Others

Self-employed

Executive

Worker

Service Industry/Sales

Professional

Clerical



MARITAL STATUS

1%

63%

36%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Seperated/Windowed

Married

Single



WHETHER RESPONDENTS ARE THE FAMILY BREADWINNER

42%

58%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

No

Yes



SURVEY RESULT

S


Evaluation of Stress Level of Hong Kong Working

Population (Self Evaluation)


Over half consider life is stressful this year

36%

35%

18%9%

1%

Successful sample: 610

quite stressful

very stressful

average

not stressful at all

not too stressful

54%


Among those who are stressful, 73% are more stressful this year

than last year

3%

24%

73%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

less stressful thanlast year

about the same

moe stressful thanlast year

Successful samples: 331


Evaluation of Hong Kong working population’s

stress hormone induced health problems

(Objective evaluation)


40%

52%53%

48%56%

53%48%

11%

16%13%

9%9%

17%14%19%

25%

38%53%

46%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

indigestion/constipation

excess waistline*

headache/shoulder muscle fatigue

bad memory

easy to get sick

difficult to concentrate

poor sleep quality/insomnia

worry/mood state

bad temper

feeling tired for no reason

sometime frequentlySuccessful samples:

610 * Male>30 inches ， Female>28 inches

72%

The majority of respondents have experienced stress hormone induced health

problems in the past 12 monthsStress hormone induced problems experienced by respondents in the past 12 months

72%69%

65%62%

61%59%

56%

48%



90% experienced 3 or more stress hormone induced health problems in

the past 12 months

10%

24%

38%

52%

64%

74%

82%

90%

95%

99%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%

10 or more

9 or more

8 or more

7 or more

6 or more

5 or more

4 or more

3 or more

2 or more

1 or more


Awareness of Stress Hormone Cortisol and Its Health Problems


Only ¼ have heard about the stress hormone cortisol

25%

72%

3%


never

yes

don’t know/hard to tell


Of those who have heard of cortisol, most do not know cortisol may cause

serious health problems

32%

19%

15%13%

13%

5%5%

1%

0%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

high cholesterol

big tummy

diabetes

low immunity/easy to get sick

nutrition intake/indigestion

hard to concentrate/endurance

cardiovacular diseases/high blood pressure

insomnia/poor sleep quality

mood problem (nervous, anxiety, etc)

Successful samples: 151 (who have heard about stress hormone cortisol)

In your opinion, what health problems are caused by cortisol?


The majority of Hong Kong working population is not aware of the impacts of stress hormone cortisol has on physical and mental health.

Only ¼ of the respondents have heard of "cortisol“, and yet, most of them are only aware of its mood related impacts, rather than its association with chronic diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases).

Summary


Impacts of stress hormone on work, family,

and social life



Over 60% said stress hormone induced health problems are

affecting their work

27%

38%

62%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

affect social life

affect family life

affect work


27%

28%

72%

2%

1%

12%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

affect peers/bossrelationship, or how theyevaluate my performance

causing sick leave

reduce work efficiency

sometime freqently Successful Samples: 380 (whose work is affected)

84%

Over 80% whose work is affected said stress hormone induced health problems

have affected job efficiency

29%

29%

Impacts of stress hormone induced health problems on work


Successful Samples: 231 (whose family life is affected)

Over 70% whose family life is affected reduce communication with family

members, or even give them hard timeImpacts of stress hormone induced health problems on family life

63%

63%

10%

14%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

poor relationship withfamily, bad temper, or give

them hard time

affect family life, eg. lesscommunication

sometime frequently

77%

73%


Conclusion


Hong Kong working population is under prolonged stress, which is

worryingThe majority of Hong Kong working population claimed they are very or quite stressful.90% respondents have experienced at least three stress hormone induced health problems in the past 12 months. Most think such health problems affect work efficiency.As the economy has not been fully recovered, unemployment rate is still high. People needs to “add value” to their work all the time. With salary cut/freeze coming for next year, to prevent stress induced health problems, it is important for Hong Kong workers to properly relieve the stress from work, family and social life.


Hypercortisolism and its Health Problems

Presenter: Dr. Leung Yiu Kin Associate Professor, Psychology Department, CUHK


SHORT-TERM vs LONG-TERM STRESS

Short-term stress (eg: meet bad guy in an interview) Long-term stress (eg: bad guy becomes your boss)Long-term stress: Prolonged, uncontrollable and inescapable stress, causing changes in body mechanics in order to produce energy to cope with stress


The HPA Axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland)


Biological change due to stress hormone, cortisol

Stress hormone, Cortisol, breakdowns protein and body fats and turns them to glucose in order to supply body with more energy to deal with stressThe body needs proteins to form high-level biochemical substance, and thus prolonged breaking of protein and fats will cause :

Suppression of immunity (lack white blood cells)Inability to repair damaged cellsThe problem that the brain stops thinking about pleasurable things and instead focusing on potential threats, therefore, increasing anxiety and depressionDamage of brain cells, affecting memory, sleep quality and concentration Cardiovascular diseases (such as stroke, heart diseases) Diabetes

Emotional stress and neuro-atrophy (Magarinos, et al., 1996)

Loss of neurons and dendritic atrophy in stressed male monkey (Sapolsky, 1990)


Prolonged hypercortisolism is

detrimental to health and

must not be undermined


How to handle prolonged hypercortisolism?


How to deal with it effectively ？

Focus on the basics: find out root causes of stresslifestyleinterpersonal relationshipjob mismatch

If the causes cannot be resolved, should change the way we think and apply behavioural changes


7-well Approach for Stress-relief

Body MindEat well Love wellSleep well Play wellExercise well Work well

Attitude well


The End

cortisol and its health impacts

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