Does your job involve meeting people? It may raise diabetes risk: Study

A 14-year study of nearly 3 million people found that emotional strain in public-facing roles may increase type 2 diabetes risk by up to 47 per cent

Jobs that involve constant interaction with people, especially those that are emotionally demanding or involve frequent confrontations, may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A large Swedish study titled Person-related work and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a Swedish register-based cohort study, published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, found that people working in such roles face up to a 24 per cent higher risk of diabetes.

 

The study also showed that women in emotionally demanding jobs with low workplace support had the highest risk—up to 47 per cent—of developing type 2 diabetes.

 

Researchers from Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, who followed nearly 3 million people in Sweden over 14 years, found that workplace stress, especially in people-facing roles, could have serious long-term effects on metabolic health.

 

What’s the link between workplace stress and diabetes?

The researchers tracked nearly 3 million Swedish workers aged 30 to 60 years who were free of diabetes in 2005. They specifically looked at people-facing roles in industries like healthcare, education, social work, hospitality, and transportation, focusing on three types of work-related interactions:

• General contact with people
• Emotional demands (dealing with people in distress)
• Confrontation (handling conflicts with clients or customers)

The study spanned from 2006 to 2020 and recorded over 200,000 new cases of type 2 diabetes during this period.

 

The study observed that women faced a greater impact of workplace stress on diabetes risk than men. While both sexes were affected, the link between high emotional demands and diabetes was stronger in women, particularly when job control was low and social support was missing.

Which professions carry higher diabetes risk?

Jobs that require high emotional engagement or confrontational situations were found to carry a significantly higher risk of diabetes. These included:

• Healthcare professionals
• Teachers
• Customer service executives
• Social workers
• Law enforcement and security staff

The emotional burden was especially pronounced in human service jobs, where workers often deal with distressed patients or clients but rarely receive emotional reciprocity.

How does chronic workplace stress lead to diabetes?

Chronic workplace stress is known to trigger hormonal changes, particularly increasing cortisol (the stress hormone) levels, which can lead to insulin resistance—a key factor in type 2 diabetes.

 

The researchers also suggested that such stress may lead to unhealthy coping behaviours like overeating, physical inactivity, or excessive alcohol use, which further elevate diabetes risk.

Does workplace support protect against diabetes risk?

The study found that the risk of diabetes from emotionally demanding or confrontational jobs was much higher in people with low social support from managers and colleagues.

 

For women in emotionally taxing roles with poor workplace support, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes was as high as 47 per cent more compared to those in less demanding jobs with good support.

What can be done to reduce this health risk?

The findings underline the importance of creating supportive, empathetic workplaces, especially in people-facing sectors. Organisations should:

• Foster better peer and managerial support
• Implement stress management programmes
• Offer more autonomy and control in emotionally demanding roles

Researchers also called for developing targeted diabetes prevention strategies for workers in these high-risk occupations.  For more health updates, follow #HealthWithBS 

This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.