Exploring the link between work and health: Workaholism and family history of metabolic diseases

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine if facets of workaholism are associated with a family history of metabolic diseases.

Design/methodology/approach

Data on workaholism and family history of health issues were collected, through administration of an online survey, from 194 employees.

Findings

Workaholism significantly related to a family history of metabolic diseases.

Research limitations/implications

Future researchers should collect objective disease data, examine work-related moderators as well as potential mediators, and implement longitudinal designs with much larger samples. That said, the data reveal a correlation between workaholism and family history of metabolic disease.

Practical implications

The results provide valuable information to help promote a healthy workforce and to improve employees’ health by reducing workaholic tendencies. They could also help to minimize health-related costs associated with metabolic diseases that could develop in parallel with workaholism, as well as costs in terms of a loss in productivity due absenteeism.

Originality/value

It is, the authors believe, the first study to investigate the relationship between facets of workaholism and family history of health issues that have often been associated with metabolic diseases.

Citation

Aziz, S., Wuensch, K. and Shaikh, S.R. (2017), "Exploring the link between work and health: Workaholism and family history of metabolic diseases", International Journal of Workplace Health Management, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 153-163. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-05-2016-0034