The UofL study is believed to be the first to connect biomarkers for chronic disease risk to factors such as stress, employee capacity for work assigned, workplace physical and social environment and whether we see our work as meaningful. The findings are published in theĚý.

These factors are part of a new concept the UofL researchers have coined which they hope will become a model for both employers and employees to better understand the health impacts of workplace culture.

“For a long time, we’ve assumed that workplace culture can impact our health,” said Brad Shuck, an author on the study and organizational culture researcher in UofL’s . “This study shows, in biological terms, that assumption is true and improving our understanding of these links could help both employees and employers make better, more informed decisions that keep everyone healthy and happy in their workĚý±đ˛Ô±ąľ±°ů´Ç˛Ôłľ±đ˛ÔłŮ˛ő.”

In the study, Shuck andĚý researchers Kandi Walker, Joy Hart and Rachel Keith asked participants to complete questionnaires on their well-being and work determinants of health factors, such as how engaged and positive or negative they felt about their work environment. Walker and Hart hold faculty appointments in the College of Arts & Sciences and Keith is a faculty member in the School of Medicine.

Of course, few of us can simply abandon our work, but there are ways to take the drudgery out of day-to-day life and bring our focus on the brighter side. At this month’s Beer with a Scientist, Jacquelyn Graven, PsyD, of Graven and Assoc., along with two of her colleagues, Aaron Levinsky, PsyD, and David Charles, PhD, will offer research-based tips for keeping life under control, reducing stress and allowing for a more relaxed day.

is a private group practice that provides psychological and neuropsychological testing, therapy and treatment of psychological issues for people of all ages. The trio of licensed psychologists say it is possible to keep the play in your life through time management, prioritizing, balance and self care.

“A lot of people today work so darn much and they don’t take breaks. They don’t stop and manage their time very well,” Graven said. “That leads to burnout, depression and anxiety. Our talk is about managing your schedule and learning what to let go of. Research shows that reducing stress leads to greater efficiency, productivity, overall health and life happiness.”

Graven says one way to start is by controlling stress in your morning.

“Don’t just hit the floor and start running or your whole day will be pressure, pressure, pressure,” she said. “Give yourself time, whether you go to the gym or read a book or sit on your deck with a cup of coffee. Setting that pace in the morning will determine how you handle your day.”

Graven, Levinsky and Charles will elaborate on these and other ways to turn work into play beginning at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 14, at Against the Grain Brewery, 401 E. Main St. in Louisville. A 30-minute presentation will be followed by an informal Q&A session.

University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences epidemiologist Kira Taylor, PhD, and her UofL and Emory University colleagues, found that women who reported feeling more stressed during their ovulatory window were approximately 40-percent less likely to conceive during that month than during other, less stressful months. Similarly, women who generally reported feeling more stressed than other women were about 45-percent less likely to conceive. The results of the study were recently published in the journalĚý.

In the study, 400 women 40-years-old and younger who were sexually active recorded their daily stress levels measured on a scale from one to four (low to high). The diaries also contained information regarding menstruation, intercourse, contraception, alcohol, caffeine and smoking. Urine samples also were collected throughout the study, and women were followed until they became pregnant or until the study ended, for an average of eight menstrual cycles.

Researchers calculated mean stress levels during each phase of the menstrual cycle, with day 14 as the estimated time of ovulation. They found the negative effect of stress on fertility was only observed during the ovulatory window, and was true after adjustments for other factors such as age, body mass index, alcohol use and frequency of intercourse.

“These findings add more evidence to a very limited body of research investigating whether perceived stress can affect fertility,” Taylor said. “The results imply that women who wish to conceive may increase their chances by taking active steps towards stress reduction such as exercising, enrolling in a stress management program or talking to a health professional.”

The study also found that women who did conceive experienced an increase in stress at the end of the month in which they became pregnant. Taylor hypothesizes this could be the result of two factors: women became stressed after taking a home pregnancy test and learning they were pregnant, and/or most likely the increased stress was the result of changes in hormone levels caused by pregnancy itself.

“Some individuals are skeptical that emotional and psychological attributes may be instrumental in affecting fertility,” Taylor said. “I hope the results of this study serve a wake-up call for both physicians and the general public that psychological health and well-being is just as important as other more commonly accepted risk factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or obesity when trying to conceive.”