PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship among job stress, family stress and perceived health status of middle school teachers and to present basic information about promoting health and coping with stress. METHOD: Participants(N=547) was recruited in B city from November 2005 to December 2005. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation and multiple regression. RESULTS: The degree of job stress of the middle school teachers was 54.47 out of a total score of 88; that of family stress was 46.57 out of a total score of 96; and that of perceived health status was 78.59 out of the perfect score 100. There was a significantly negative relationship between job stress and perceived health status (r=-.274, p<.001), and family stress and perceived health status(r=-.408, p<.001). However, there was a positive relationship between job stress and family stress(r=.298, p<.001).Family stress, gender, charging subject, job stress, charging grade and number of family member was 27.1% of the variance in perceived health status of middle school teachers. CONCLUSION: Family stress has the most important impact on perceived health status with middle school teachers. Based on the finding, we could conclude that both job stress and family stress management shouldbe required to improve perceived health status.
*Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; *Faculty ; Family/*psychology ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; *Stress, Psychological ; Workload/psychology

OBJECTIVETo test the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERI) based on the Job Demand-Control Model and Effort-Reward Imbalance Model respectively.

METHODS928 health care workers in hospitals were investigated in this study. The self-administered questionnaires were used to assess the psychosocial work environment, including job demand, control, social support, extrinsic effort, reward, and overcommitment. Mean while, the internal consistency reliability, construct validity and criterion validity were evaluated.

RESULTSThe Cronbach's alpha coefficients for 6 scales were acceptable (0.56 approximately 0.82); factor analysis showed the close fitness with the theoretical constructs, though the "job demand" and "overcommitment" scales were still questioned; moreover, both demand-control and effort-reward imbalance were independently related to depressive symptom (OR: 1.63 approximately 2.64, P < 0.01), indicating the satisfactory criterion validity.

CONCLUSIONBoth Job Demand-Control Model and Effort-Reward Imbalance Model, with their relevant questionnaires were reliable and valid methods for measuring the psychosocial work environment and assessing the occupational stress among Chinese working population and further revision is necessary.

Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Staff ; psychology ; Stress, Psychological ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Workload ; psychology ; Workplace ; psychology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between occupational stress and mental health in offshore oil platform workers and to provide a scientific basis for protection of their mental health.

METHODSA total of 768 workers on offshore oil platform were surveyed with the Occupational Stress Inventory Revised Edition and Symptom Check List-90 (SCL-90).

RESULTSThe total score of Occupational Role Questionnaire (ORQ) for the workers (160.27±24.63) was significantly lower than the national norm (166.52±27.01) (P < 0.01); the total score of Personal Strain Questionnaire (PSQ) (101.96±19.8) was significantly higher than the national norm (92.45±17.33) (P < 0.01). The total score of Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ) for the workers was not significantly different from the national norm (P > 0.05), but the items of recreation, social support, and rational/cognitive found significant difference (P < 0.05). The total score of SCL-90 was positively correlated with all items of ORQ and PSQ (P < 0.01) and negatively correlated with all items of PRQ (P < 0.01). The multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that current work seniority, education background, drinking, role overload, role insufficiency, role ambiguity, responsibility, physical environment, and rational/cognitive conduct impacted the score of SCL-90 (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe mental health of workers on offshore oil platform is related to occupational stress, and role overload, role ambiguity, physical environment, and rational/cognitive conduct, etc, are closely associated with the workers' mental health.

Adult ; Burnout, Professional ; psychology ; Humans ; Male ; Mental Health ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Occupational Diseases ; psychology ; Sampling Studies ; Stress, Psychological ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Workload ; psychology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the change pattern of primary and secondary school teachers' work ability with the changes in their mental workload.

METHODSA total of 901 primary and secondary school teachers were selected by random cluster sampling, and then their mental workload and work ability were assessed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) and Work Ability Index (WAI) questionnaires, whose reliability and validity had been tested. The effects of their mental workload on the work ability were analyzed.

RESULTSPrimary and secondary school teachers' work ability reached the highest level at a certain level of mental workload (55.73< mental workload ≤ 64.10). When their mental workload was lower than the level, their work ability had a positive correlation with the mental workload. Their work ability increased or maintained stable with the increasing mental workload. Moreover, the percentage of teachers with good work ability increased, while that of teachers with moderate work ability decreased. But when their mental workload was higher than the level, their work ability had a negative correlation with the mental workload. Their work ability significantly decreased with the increasing mental workload (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the percentage of teachers with good work ability decreased, while that of teachers with moderate work ability increased (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONToo high or low mental workload will result in the decline of primary and secondary school teachers' work ability. Moderate mental workload (55.73∼64.10) will benefit the maintaining and stabilization of their work ability.

Faculty ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Occupational Health ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sampling Studies ; Schools ; Stress, Psychological ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Work ; psychology ; Workload ; psychology

OBJECTIVETo assess the occupational stress and its influential factors in nurses.

METHODSA test of occupational stress, its influential factors, work ability were carried out for 248 nurses and 319 controls with revised occupational stress inventory (OSI-R) and work ability index (WAI).

RESULTSThe scores of personal cope resource (131.266 +/- 17.176) and work ability index (32.581 +/- 3.158) in nurse group were significantly higher than those in control group (126.931 +/- 19.108, 31.840 +/- 4.069) (P < 0.05). The main occupational stressors scores (role insufficiency, role clash, and responsibility) in nurses were higher than those in controls (P < 0.05). The stress response of interpersonal relationship in nurses was also higher. The items of personal cope resource, such as recreation, self-care and social support of nurses were superior to those of controls (P < 0.05). Stress response was positively correlated with occupational role (r = 0.512, P < 0.01), and negatively correlated with the personal cope resource (r = -0.475, P < 0.01). The primary influential factors of personal stress were recreation, social support, rational conduct, role insufficiency, role clash, responsibility, and poor work environment.

CONCLUSIONTo strengthen social support, to improve work condition for nurses, so as to reduce the occupational stress and to enhance the work ability of nurses are important task in occupational health field.

Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nurses ; psychology ; Occupational Health ; statistics & numerical data ; Risk Factors ; Social Support ; Stress, Psychological ; prevention & control ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Workload ; psychology

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the determinants of job satisfaction of hospital nurses. The focus was on work rewards. A causal model of job satisfaction of hospital nurses was constructed based on situational perspectives. METHODS: The sample for this study consisted of 505 nurses from 2 general hospitals located in Seoul and Kyeonggi Province, Korea. Data were collected with self-administrated questionnaires and analyzed by hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: All variables except workload were positively correlated with job satisfaction. It was found that three task reward variables (workload, meaning, and participation), two organizational reward variables (security and promotional chances) and one social reward variable (family support) had significant influence on nurses' job satisfaction. The explained variance for job satisfaction was 41.4%. The data further indicate that task rewards were the most significant determinants of nurse job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Theses findings provide strong empirical evidence for importance of task, organizational and social reward variables in explaining job satisfaction of nurses. The model used for this study will be useful for predicting nurse job satisfaction.
Attitude of Health Personnel ; Humans ; *Job Satisfaction ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/organization & administration/*psychology ; Questionnaires ; *Reward ; Salaries and Fringe Benefits ; Social Support ; Workload

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify job stress experienced by head nurses of general hospitals. METHODS: Data was collected from 10 head nurses with in-depth interviews about their actual experiences. The main questions were when, why, and from whom they get stress in the work field; how they are affected by the stressful situation; and how they cope with this stress. All the interviews were recorded and transcribed. The collected data was analyzed using a consistent comparative data analysis method. RESULTS: Job stress of head nurse was formed by 3 axis; causes, reactions, and coping strategies in complicated situational context such as human relationship, culture of hospital, individual characteristics, social support. CONCLUSION: The results of this study yields very useful information for nursing mangers to identify, by stages, the demands of the head nurses in their role adaptation process. The findings of this study contributes to developing programs and supportive policies that palliates the head nurses' job stress.
*Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/*psychology ; Physician-Nurse Relations ; *Stress, Psychological ; Workload

OBJECTIVETo investigate the distribution characteristics and influencing factors of mental workload of teachers in primary schools.

METHODSNational Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) was used to assess the mental workload levels for 397 teachers of primary schools in a city.

RESULTSThe mental workload (64.34+10.56) of female teachers was significantly higher than that (61.73+ 9.77) of male teachers (P<0.05). The mental workload (65.66+10.42) of "-35" years old group was the highest. When age of teachers was younger than 35 years old, there was a positive correlation between the mental workload and age (r=0.146, P<0.05). When age of teachers was older than 35 years old, there was a negative correlation between the mental workload and age (r=-0.190, P<0.05). The teachers with higher education level felt higher mental workload (unstandardized coefficients B=1.524, standardized coefficients /=0.111, P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between the mental workload and working hours per day (unstandardized coefficients B =4.659, standardized coefficients/3 =0.223, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONMental workload of the teachers in primary schools is closely related to age, educational level and work hours per day. Work hours per day is an important risk factor for mental workload. Reducing work hours per day (8 hours) is an effective measure of alleviating the mental workload of teachers in primary schools.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Faculty ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Schools ; Stress, Psychological ; epidemiology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Workload ; psychology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the mental health status and its affecting factors in nurses of general hospitals.

METHODSFour hundred and seventy nurses in general hospitals were investigated with SCL-90, Self-Rating Life Events and coping style questionnaires.

RESULTSThe scores of SCL-90 factors, such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsion, phobia, somatization, were higher than the norm (P < 0.05). 22% of the nurses had two factors higher than 2, and 5.3% ever had suicidal idea. The total score of SCL-90 and some factorial scores in < 40 years age group were higher than in older age groups (P < 0.01), and in III grade hospital nurses were also higher than in II grade hospital nurses (P < 0.01). The scores of negative life events, negative coping style and work load from abnormal psychology group were higher than normal group, while positive coping score was lower than normal group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Stepwise regression analysis showed that, negative life events, coping style, hospital grade had predictive value for total score of SCL-90 and anxiety, depression etc factorial scores (P < 0.01). Age had negative predictive value for anxiety, hostility and phobia (P < 0.05). The total score from work events had predictive value for obsession and hostility, and positive events from work had predictive value for anxiety and the total score of SCL-90 (P < 0.01). The total interpersonal relationship events and negative interpersonal relationship events had predictive value for hostility and interpersonal sensitivity.

CONCLUSIONGeneral hospital nurses especially in ages < 40 group had higher incidences of mental health problems. The main influencing factors are negative life events, coping style, work load, interpersonal relationship, age and hospital grade.

Adult ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Middle Aged ; Nurses ; psychology ; Social Support ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Workload ; Young Adult

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