Objective: A survey was conducted to understand the work conditions, daily living habits and occupational stress of nurses and care workers employed by nursing care medical facilities. Materials and Methods: Self-completion questionnaires were administered to 68 personnel (27 nurses, 41 care workers) aged 38.3 ± 12.5 years. Results: The percentage of nurses who fell under the `good' lifestyle category was zero, while the percentage of those in the `poor' lifestyle category was 66.7%. In comparison, 12.2% of care workers enjoyed a `good' lifestyle, and 56.1% had a `poor' lifestyle. From among all the respondents, 60.2% fell under the `poor' lifestyle category. There were significant differences between nurses and care workers (p<0.01) for two categories, `stress from the work environment' and `subjective level of his/her work aptitude', which are presumably stress factors. Significant differences were also observed between them (p<0.05) for the following two categories, `subjective level of physical burden' and `job satisfaction'. There was no significant difference between the nurses and the care workers with regard to the raw scores recorded for all the categories under `physical and mental reactions caused by stress'. However, the care workers scored 8.1 ± 2.3 points in the `feeling of fatigue' category, and their scores were evaluated as `slightly high' as per the determination criteria. With regard to the stress-relieving factors, no significant differences were noted between the nurses and care workers in terms of the raw scores recorded for any of the categories. The raw scores recorded for the `support from supervisors' category were 7.3 ± 2.0 and 7.1 ± 1.8 points for the nurses and care workers, respectively. These scores were evaluated as `slightly high' according to the determination criteria of the questionnaire on stress. Conclusions: On the basis of the results of this study, it was determined that the work hours per day were longer and the duration of breaks was shorter for the nurses than for the care workers. No significant difference was observed in the daily living habits of the nurses and care workers. The raw scores for the factors (questionnaire items) that were presumed to be the causes of stress were significantly higher for the nurses than for the care workers. Support from supervisors was a stress-relieving factor for both the nurses and care workers.
workforce ; Stress ; Work ; Life Style ; categories

INTRODUCTION

This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between work stress and dysglycemia among healthcare workers engaged in shift work at a level 1 government hospital in Antipolo City, Philippines.

METHODS

Work stress was assessed using the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) Questionnaire, and dysglycemia was measured through a 75g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

RESULTS

A total of 126 healthcare workers aged 20–55 years participated Results showed that 65.1% of participants experienced work stress, with nurses reporting the highest prevalence (43.9%). Dysglycemia was present in 33.3% of participants, predominantly in the form of impaired glucose tolerance. Despite the high prevalence of both work stress and obesity (61.9%), no statistically significant associations were found between work stress and dysglycemia (p = .51), gender and work stress (p = .59), occupation and work stress (p = .059), or obesity and dysglycemia (p = .70).

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that while work stress is common among healthcare workers, especially nurses, it may not directly predict dysglycemia in relatively young and active populations. However, the long-term metabolic risks associated with chronic occupational stress should not be overlooked. Future longitudinal studies with larger samples are recommended to better assess causality and guide workplace wellness programs.

Human ; Work Stress ; Occupational Stress ; Healthcareworkers ; Health Personnel ; Occupational Health

OBJECTIVETo study the metabolic difference of body influenced by active stress and passive stress under special events.

METHODSTo detect serum multiple biochemistry index of 57 earthquake rescue medical team and 13 victims of a natural calamity in Wenchuan earthquake by using Hitachi 7600 automatic analyzer.

RESULTSStress affected biochemistry index deeply. To compared with rescue medical team, the serum ADA, ALP and TG of victims increased obviously and TP, ALB, MAO, Cr, UA, K, Na, Cl, Ca, ApoA1 and HDL decreased obviously.

CONCLUSIONMany biochemistry index have been changed under stress and it relate with stress extent. The human body function status was better in active stress than in passive stress.

Blood Chemical Analysis ; China ; Disasters ; Earthquakes ; Humans ; Metabolism ; physiology ; Rescue Work ; Stress, Physiological ; physiology

PURPOSE: This study was done to evaluate the factors that influence secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and physical symptoms experienced by firefighters. In addition, a hypothetical model was developed. METHOD: The data were collected using self-reported questionnaires from 410 field service firefighters. Data analysis was done with the SPSSWIN 10.0 program for descriptive statistics and Windows LISREL program to determine the causal relationship between the measurement variables. RESULTS: The hypothetical model which was developed fits well with actual data(chi-square=3.16, p=0.99, GFI=1.00, AGFI=0.99, NFI=0.99, and NNFI=1.06). The variable, personality type, social support, and impact mobilization frequency had a significant effect and accounted for 7% of the secondary traumatic stress in firefighters. The variables, career, social support, and secondary traumatic stress had a significant effect and accounted for 24% of the burnout in firefighters. Social support, impact mobilization frequency, and secondary traumatic stress were important variables and accounted for 31% of the physical symptoms in firefighters. CONCLUSION: It is necessary for firefighters to manage themselves according to their personality types. Strategies that can increase the firefighters' social support and decrease their perceived secondary traumatic stress also need to be developed to minimize or prevent a negative effect on their health.
Firefighters* ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rescue Work ; Statistics as Topic ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the factors related with posttraumatic symptoms and to estimate the prevalence of posttraumatic disorder of urban male firefighters. METHODS: From a study sample comprising 260 male firefighters from one fire station, the responses from 146 who had experienced one or more traumatic events, responded to the 'Impact of Event Scale-Revised Korean version' (IES-R-K) and didn't show any evidence of depression were analyzed. We surveyed the firefighters using a self-administered questionnaire including general characteristics, job-related characteristics, IES-R-K, and a 'Firefighters and paramedics' incident stressor'. RESULTS: The mean value of IES-R-K in this study was 11.3 and it was higher in the married firefighters than in the unmarried firefighters (p=0.005) and in the 24-hr shift workers than in the ordinary day shift workers (p=0.032). The frequency of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of the firefighters in this study using IES-R-K was 13.7%, with a cutoff point of 24/25. The overall number of experiences of 25 traumatic events was larger in emergency medical personnel and rescue workers than in other work functions (p=0.000). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of PTSD symptoms in firefighters was estimated to 13.7% using IES-RK and was higher than the prevalence of PTSD in the general population. A program to manage the mental health and provide early detection for mental illness for firefighters is needed.
Depression ; Emergencies ; Firefighters ; Fires ; Humans ; Male ; Mental Health ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Rescue Work ; Single Person ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between work in shifts and occupational stress.

METHODSA total of 5338 employees from 13 companies were investigated by cluster sampling, and occupational stress measuring tools, job content questionnaire, and effort-reward imbalance questionnaire were used to investigate occupational stress factors, stress reaction, and the condition of work in shifts.

RESULTSThe employees who worked in shifts accounted for 46.6%. The condition of work in shifts varied significantly across different companies, employees with different individual features (including sex, job title, degree of education, age, working years, smoking, and drinking), and employees with different weekly working times(P<0.01 or P<0.05); health status was associated with work in shifts(P<0.01); compared with the employees who did not work in shifts, those who worked in shifts had significantly lower scores of technology utilization, work control level, psychological need, reward, social support, and job satisfaction(P<0.01 or P<0.05), as well as significantly higher scores of physical demands, effort, depressive symptoms, and negative affectivity(P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONWork in shifts can affect health status, and is associated with occupational stress.

Depression ; Health Status ; Humans ; Job Satisfaction ; Occupational Diseases ; epidemiology ; Smoking ; Social Support ; Stress, Psychological ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Work Schedule Tolerance

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between nurse occupational stress and salivary alpha- amylase (SAA).

METHODSEvaluation of occupational stress was conducted in 131 nurses. The activity of SAA was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSThe activity of SAA in nurses varied with age and working years. The baseline, work period, recovery, average activities of >35 age group were less than those of ≤ 30 age group; work period, recovery, average activities of ≤ 10 years group were higher than other two groups; there was no statistical difference between SAA vitalities of different degree groups (P>0.05). In nurses with high scores for job demands, the activity of SAA in working period was significantly higher than that in nurses with low scores (P < 0.05). The baseline SAA activity in nurses with high scores for role conflict and ambiguity was significantly higherthan thatin nurses with low scores (P < 0.05). The baseline SAAactivity was positively correlated with workload, role conflict, and role ambiguity (P < 0.05). The activity of SAA in working period was negatively correlated with task control, decision control, and technology utilization (P < 0.05), and was positively correlated with quantitative load, load change, work monotony, and workload (P < 0.05). The activity of SAA in recovery period was negatively correlated with task control, decision control, resource control, and technology utilization (P < 0.01). The average activity of SAA was negatively correlated with task control, decision control, resource control, technology utilization, opportunity for participating in decision-making, and promotion (P < 0.05), and was positively correlated with quantitative load, load change, workload, and role ambiguity (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe occupational stress in 131 nurses is correlated with the activity of SAA, which can be used as an objective biomarker for identification and evaluation of occupational stress.

Biomarkers ; Humans ; Nurses ; psychology ; Occupational Diseases ; epidemiology ; Salivary alpha-Amylases ; analysis ; Stress, Psychological ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Work ; Workload

OBJECTIVETo investigate psychological stress and influence factors on the mine emergency rescue personnel.

METHOD564 mine emergency rescue personnel from a rescue group were select as subjects, and 60 designers from a steel design institute were as controls. Self-made questionnaire and general job stress questionnaire were used to investigate the basic information, rescue history, psychosomatic symptoms, depression symptoms, daily job stress and negative emotions of emergency rescue personnel. SPSS17.0 software was used to analysis the psychological stress on the mine rescue personnel and its influence factors.

RESULTSThe detection rate (41.94%) of depression symptoms in rescue team was higher than that of controls (24.90%). The score of daily job stress was higher than that of logistical support. The older age group with higher negative emotional and daily job stress than the younger. The highest negative emotion was in age group of more than 40 years old. The highest score of daily job stress was in ≤30 years old. The score of depression and psychosomatic symptoms were higher than those of the college and the above. The scores of depression in group of duration of rescue <10 years was higher than that of duration≥10 years. The score of daily job stress is the lowest in rescue for 1 to 2 times per year and the highest in group of simulation training once a week. The score of daily job stress and depressive symptoms were getting higher with the extension of combat duty time. Age, hours of combat duty, training times a week, education and life events were the main affecting fectors on mental health of mine rescuers.

CONCLUSIONSMine rescuers have more psychological stress than generic population. The psychological stress of the mine crew is related to age, education, life events, training and combat readiness duty time.

Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression ; Disasters ; Emergency Responders ; psychology ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Mining ; Rescue Work ; Stress, Psychological ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: Firefighters and rescue workers are likely to be exposed to a variety of traumatic events; as such, they are vulnerable to the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The psychometric properties of the Korean version of the PTSD Checklist (PCL), a widely used self-report screening tool for PTSD, were assessed in South Korean firefighters and rescue workers. METHODS: Data were collected via self-report questionnaires and semi-structured clinical interviews administered to 221 firefighters. Internal consistency, item-total correlation, one-week test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and divergent validity were examined. Content validity of the PCL was evaluated using factor analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to estimate the optimal cutoff point and area under the curve. RESULTS: The PCL demonstrated excellent internal consistency (alpha = 0.97), item-total correlation (r = 0.72-0.88), test-retest reliability (r = 0.95), and convergent and divergent validity. The total score of PCL was positively correlated with the number of traumatic events experienced (p < 0.001). Factor analysis revealed two theoretically congruent factors: re-experience/avoidance and numbing/hyperarousal. The optimal cutoff was 45 and the area under the ROC curve was 0.97. CONCLUSIONS: The Korean version of the PCL may be a useful PTSD screening instrument for firefighters and rescue workers, further maximizing opportunities for accurate PTSD diagnosis and treatment.
Checklist* ; Diagnosis ; Firefighters* ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Psychometrics ; Reproducibility of Results* ; Rescue Work* ; ROC Curve ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic*

We investigated the association between problematic internet use (PIU) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in children and adolescents in South Korea. A cross-sectional survey was administered to community students who attended primary, secondary, and high schools in the Jindo area 1–2.5 months after the Sewol ferry disaster. Of the 1,744 respondents, 392 students who were exposed to the disaster, witnessing the rescue work directly, were evaluated. PTSD symptoms were measured using the University of California Los Angeles Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (UCLA PTSD-RI). The severity of impairment caused by excessive internet use was evaluated using Young's Internet Addiction Test. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and State Anxiety Inventory for Children (SAIC) were also used. Logistic regression analysis revealed that PIU was significantly and independently associated with a high level of PTSD symptoms. Our findings suggest that children and adolescents with PIU require intensive follow-up and special care to prevent the development of PTSD symptoms following a disaster.
Adolescent ; Anxiety ; California ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression ; Disasters* ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Internet* ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Rescue Work ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* ; Surveys and Questionnaires