Do you regret that your colleagues are mainly women? The opposite, namely being surrounded by men at work, would not necessarily be more pleasant. A testosterone-filled open space could put women’s nerves on edge, according to a new study from Indiana University in Bloomington, USA. The stress level of women in this situation was assessed by measuring the level of cortisol, the stress hormone, in women working in environments where they were under-represented (15% of the workforce).
Verdict, women working with many men showed cortisol levels that fluctuated more erratically than normal. They therefore seemed to be more stressed than those who practiced in a more gender-balanced environment.
“Women who are in predominantly male professions show less healthy and more disturbed cortisol levels during the day, summarizes Bianca Manago, one of the researchers who collaborated on the study, at The Independent site. are associated with a higher risk of health problems, continues the study, the results of which were presented at the 110th annual meeting of the American Sociological Society.
Today, stress is an evil that eats away at the health of more and more employees. He would affect 60% of workers in France. However, far from being trivial, this silent poison promotes a large number of pathologies: insomnia, irritability, fatigue, loss of libido, dermatosis, diabetescardiovascular disorders.
Stress and social isolation
This is not the first time that scientists have indirectly invited women to be wary of professional circles that are too masculine. Previous work has suggested that predominantly male work environments can be anxiety for women who may suffer from social isolation, lack support from colleagues or worse be subject to sexual harassment.
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