Psychosocial work factors and diabetes: what is known and what is left to know?

Abstract

Diabetes is one of the leading cause of death worldwide, in addition to being a major risk factors of several other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, renal disease and neuropathy.1 By 2030, approximately 439 million adults will live with diabetes worldwide (7.7%), which represents a 50% increase from 2010.2 Such a rapid increase is even more alarming as it is also occurring in countries where large-scale prevention programs and initiatives have been implemented.3 Influential public health organizations such as the ‘International Federation of Diabetes’ recently stated that prevention efforts now need to be deployed beyond the prevention of traditional risk factors, by identifying new social and environmental modifiable risk factors.3,4 A growing body of evidence suggests that psychosocial work factors may contribute to the development of diabetes. The goals of this short communication are to briefly present what is known and what is left to know on the effect of these psychosocial factors on diabetes incidence.