Women may laugh about "man flu" but the condition is no myth, according to scientists in South Korea.

The condition is defined by the Wiktionary online dictionary as "a cold or similar ailment as suffered by a male seen as wildly exaggerating the severity of his symptoms".

It is often the source of amusement for some women.

But a study found it could be caused by work stress and be confined to men rather than women, who seem to be more stoical about such matters.

"Any association between work-related stress and the common cold may be accentuated in males by their reaction to experiencing a cold and attenuated in females by their more stoical response," the researchers wrote in the journal Occupational Medicine.

The scientists studied 1,200 manual workers from 40 different companies in Incheon, South Korea.

They found men with demanding jobs were 74% more likely to report having cold symptoms than those under less pressure.

The chances of being ill were raised by 42% among men with "insufficient job control" and by 40% among those with "inadequate social support".

But the researchers could find no significant association between stress factors and cold complaints among women.

Women may laugh about "man flu" but the condition is no myth, according to scientists in South Korea.

Bus and Tube travellers suffering winter colds can infect up to 150 fellow passengers in a single sneeze, according to a new study.

Study: Stressed men are more likely to complain of flu symptoms

The condition is defined by the Wiktionary online dictionary as "a cold or similar ailment as suffered by a male seen as wildly exaggerating the severity of his symptoms".

It is often the source of amusement for some women.

But a study found it could be caused by work stress and be confined to men rather than women, who seem to be more stoical about such matters.

"Any association between work-related stress and the common cold may be accentuated in males by their reaction to experiencing a cold and attenuated in females by their more stoical response," the researchers wrote in the journal Occupational Medicine.

We need to remove the stigma associated with psychological health conditions.

Dr Olivia Carlton

The scientists studied 1,200 manual workers from 40 different companies in Incheon, South Korea.

They found men with demanding jobs were 74% more likely to report having cold symptoms than those under less pressure.

The chances of being ill were raised by 42% among men with "insufficient job control" and by 40% among those with "inadequate social support".

But the researchers could find no significant association between stress factors and cold complaints among women.

Swine flu spreading

Men with demanding jobs were 74% more likely to report colds

In the UK, stress and depression are the biggest long-term cause of work absenteeism, affecting a quarter of all employees.

Stress and depression are the biggest long-term cause of work absenteeism in the UK, with 25% of all employees affected.

Dr Olivia Carlton, of the Society of Occupational Medicine, said: "Stress of any kind, including work-related stress, may affect your immune system and be a potential risk factor for the common cold and other illnesses - further studies on this are needed.

"We need to remove the stigma associated with psychological health conditions - they are common and can happen to anyone at any time in their life.

"There are solutions and it's important that staff feel able to seek support."