Key words: strain, general practice, age, gender, marital status.

Summary. Background. General practice is one of the most stressful workplaces among health care workers and is characterized by higher rates of job strain than in reference population. We need to take into account that respondents are influenced by quite similar working conditions and health status differently. Thus this article aimed to review the subjective processes, which make general practitioners more vulnerable to the job strain.

Methods. Computerized database Medline was searched. Search included data for 1983–2003. In this review data form many comparative cross-sectional studies found in this database were included. A data collection form was developed, prepared and filled up on reading each article.

Results. Collected studies highlighted that age, gender and marital status influence job strain development for general practitioner but were very controversial on how and whom they influence. We found that outcomes of job strain have higher impact for females than for males. We also found data that males have also high rates of job strain working in general practice. The age impact on job strain between females and males increases in older age groups. The rate of job strain is the highest among middle-aged general practitioners and depends on marital status. Married females have the worst health and are most vulnerable to job strain.

Conclusions. Magnitude of job strain varies depending on age, gender and marital status of general practitioner. The highest rates of job strain are mostly observed in married females, younger or older general practitioners. Sociodemographic factors contribute to this. The development of job strain, in some extent, can be explained within social context.

Correspondence to G. Vanagas, Department of Preventive Medicine, Kaunas University of Medicine, Eivenių 4, Kaunas 50009, Lithuania. E-mail: vanagas@kmu.lt

Received 6 April 2004, accepted 28 September 1004