Toronto – Women with low control over their work may have a higher risk of diabetes, according to a study conducted by the Institute for Work & Health and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. Job control refers to people’s ability to make decisions about how they do their work and use their skills, according to an IWH press release.

Researchers tracked 7,443 employees 35-60 years old who did not have a history of diabetes over a nine-year period. Among women, 19 percent of diabetes cases were associated with low job control – a higher percentage than behaviors such as smoking, drinking, lack of activity and poor diet, but lower than obesity, the study stated.

Researchers did not find a similar relationship between job control and diabetes for men. They suggested that more autonomy at work for women and healthy habits should be part of a diabetes prevention strategy.

The study was published in the September issue of the journal Occupational Medicine.