A Pilot Study Examining Stress and Obesity among Employees at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU): Does Job Satisfaction Matter?

Objective: To evaluate the potential of using specific biopsychosocial instruments in capturing data on the relationship between stress and obesity and determine if job satisfaction influences the effect estimate.

Participants: Fifty-three Black employees at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

Methods: Logistic regression analyses were used to determine associations.

Results: Initially, perceived stress is not associated with obesity (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.17; 95% CI, 1.01-1.36). The dimension of job satisfaction related to contingent/performance-based rewards had a negative significant relationship with obesity (AOR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.37-0.96). The relationship between perceived stress and obesity became positively significant in the presence of job satisfaction related to contingent/performance-based rewards (AOR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.02-1.84).

Conclusions: Results indicate that perceived stress in conjunction with job satisfaction related to contingent/performance-based rewards may be related to obesity. This underscores the need for further investigation of obesity, stress, and job satisfaction among HBCU employees. The instruments and tools used showed promising capacity for use among this understudied population.