Effects of occupational hazards and occupational stress on job burn-out of factory workers and miners in Urumqi: a propensity score-matched cross-sectional study

Objective
This study was designed to explore the impact of occupational hazards and occupational stress on job burn-out among factory workers and miners. This study also aimed to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of job burn-out among factory workers and miners.

Design
A cross-sectional study based on the factory Workers and Miners of Urumqi, Xinjiang. Demographic biases, that is, confounding factors, were eliminated by the propensity score-matched analysis method.

Participants
An electronic questionnaire was used to survey 7500 eligible factory workers and miners in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, and 7315 complete questionnaires were returned.

Primary outcome measures
A general demographic questionnaire, the Effort–Reward Imbalance (ERI) and the Chinese Maslach Burnout Inventory.

Results
The total rate of burn-out was 86.5%. Noise (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.64) and ERI (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.78 to 2.61) were the risk factors for job burn-out among factory workers and miners (p

Leggi
Settembre 2022

Randomised clinical non-inferiority trial of breathing-based meditation and cognitive processing therapy for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans

Objective
Test whether Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) was non-inferior to cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for treating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans via a parallel randomised controlled non-inferiority trial.

Setting
Outpatient Veterans Affairs healthcare centre.

Participants
85 veterans (75 men, 61% white, mean age 56.9) with symptoms of PTSD participated between October 2015 and March 2020: 59 participants completed the study.

Interventions
SKY emphasises breathing routines and was delivered in group format in a 15-hour workshop followed by two 1-hour sessions per week for 5 weeks. CPT is an individual psychotherapy which emphasises shifting cognitive appraisals and was delivered in two 1-hour sessions per week for 6 weeks.

Measures
The primary outcome measure was the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C). The secondary measures were the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS).

Results
Mean PCL-C at baseline was 56.5 (±12.6). Intent-to-treat analyses showed that PCL-C scores were reduced at 6 weeks (end of treatment) relative to baseline (SKY, –5.6, d=0.41, n=41: CPT, –6.8, d=0.58, n=44). The between-treatment difference in change scores was within the non-inferiority margin of 10 points (–1.2, 95% CI –5.7 to 3.3), suggesting SKY was not inferior to CPT. SKY was also non-inferior at 1-month (CPT–SKY: –2.1, 95% CI –6.9 to 2.8) and 1-year (CPT–SKY: –1.8, 95% CI –6.6 to 2.9) assessments. SKY was also non-inferior to CPT on the BDI-II and PANAS at end of treatment and 1 month, but SKY was inferior to CPT on both BDI-II and PANAS at 1 year. Dropout rates were similar (SKY, 27%, CPT, 34%: OR=1.36, 95% CI 0.51 to 3.62, p=0.54).

Conclusions
SKY may be non-inferior to CPT for treating symptoms of PTSD and merits further consideration as a treatment for PTSD.

Trial registration number
NCT02366403.

Leggi
Agosto 2022

Association between work stress and health behaviours in Korean and Japanese ageing studies: a cross-sectional study

Objectives
Limited research has focused on the association between work stress and health behaviours in Asian countries. We aimed to explore the effect of work stress on two health behaviours among employees aged 45 years or above in two countries with ageing populations, Korea and Japan.

Design
A cross-sectional study.

Setting
This secondary data analysis was conducted on baseline data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA, 2006) and the Japanese Study of Aging and Retirement (JSTAR, 2007 and 2009).

Participants
Included in the analytical sample were 4982 responders without missing data aged 45 years or older who reported work positions and hours (KLoSA n=3478, JSTAR n=1504).

Main outcome measures
Work stress was represented by the short version of the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model. We used logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression to investigate the association between work stress and smoking (binary current smoking) and between work stress and drinking (categorical volume of alcohol). Socioeconomic and work-related characteristics were taken into consideration, and we examined the potential interaction between ERI and gender.

Results
Work stress as measured by ERI ratio was significantly associated with both smoking and drinking in the KLoSA analysis; after the model was fully adjusted, ORs were 1.45 (95% CI 1.17 to 1.80) and 1.44 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.90), respectively. In analysis of the data from JSTAR, the ERI ratio was associated with smoking (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.89) but not with drinking. No statistically significant interaction was found between ERI and gender in any model (p=0.82 in KLoSA data and p=0.19 in JSTAR data).

Conclusions
Statistically significant associations were found between work stress and both smoking and drinking behaviours in Korea and between work stress and smoking in Japan. Government integration of effort-reward balance programmes and health promotion programmes could effectively promote population health in these two Asian countries.

Leggi
Agosto 2022

Exploring COVID-19 circuit breaker (CB) restrictions at a migrant worker dormitory in Singapore: a case study and nested mixed-method analysis of stress management and mental health

Introduction
Measures to mitigate the COVID-19 outbreak in the migrant worker dormitories in Singapore included lockdown and isolation of residents for prolonged periods. In this paper, we explore efforts to ease tensions and support mental health under these conditions.

Methods
Case study of dormitory residents under lockdown from April to August 2020 comprises a nested mixed-method approach using an online questionnaire (n=175) and semistructured interviews (n=23) of migrant workers sampled from the survey (August to September 2020). Logistic regression models were used to analyse survey data. Semistructured interviews were analysed using applied thematic analysis.

Results
Survey and interview data showed that mental health was largely protected despite initial rising tensions over restrictions during lockdown. Sources of tension negatively affecting low stress responses included job related worries, OR=0.07 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.18, p

Leggi
Agosto 2022

Occupational burn-out, fatigue and stress in professional rescuers: a cross-sectional study in Kazakhstan

Objectives
To find predictors of burn-out in a cohort of rescuers.

Design
Cross-sectional study.

Setting
Republican Rescue Squad (N=105) and Republican Mudslide Rescue Service under the Ministry of Emergency Situations (N=480) in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Participants
In total, we included 268 (80% men, median age 38 (IQR 22) years) rescuers from both organisations.

Primary and secondary outcome measures
We offered a questionnaire to rescuers, which included Maslach Burnout Inventory, quantifying emotional exhaustion (EX), cynicism (CY) and professional efficacy (PE) along with fatigue, stress and health-related quality of life (HRQL) tools.

Results
Lower scores of HRQL (Physical Component Score (PCS) beta –0.04 (95% CI –0.06 to –0.02); Mental Component Score beta –0.03 (95% CI –0.05 to –0.01)), higher fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) score beta 0.03 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.04)) and stress (Perceived Stress Score-10 beta 0.04 (95% CI 0.02 to 0.06)) independently predicted greater EX. Lower PCS (beta –0.03 (95% CI –0.06 to –0.01)) and FSS (beta 0.02 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.03)) could predict more CY burn-out. In addition to stress, higher education (beta 0.86 (95% CI 0.40 to 1.32)) was positively associated with lower burn-out severity in PE domain.

Conclusions
Fatigue, stress and HRQL were associated with burn-out in rescuers. Addressing these predictors may help guide further interventions to reduce occupational burn-out.

Leggi
Giugno 2022

Perceived stress, trust, safety and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection among patients discharged from hospital during the COVID-19 pandemics first wave: a PREMs survey

Aim
To investigate experiences of stress, feelings of safety, trust in healthcare staff and perceptions of the severity of a SARS-CoV-2 infection among inpatients discharged from Valais Hospital, Switzerland, during the COVID-19 pandemic’s first wave.

Methods
Discharged patients aged 18 years or more (n=4665), hospitalised between 28 February and 11 May 2020, whether they had been infected by SARS-CoV-2 or not, were asked to complete a self-reporting questionnaire, as were their informal caregivers, if available (n=866). Participants answered questions from Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (0=no stress, 40=severe stress), Krajewska-Kułak et al’s Trust in Nurses Scale and Anderson and Dedrick’s Trust in Physician Scale (10=no trust, 50=complete trust), the severity of a SARS-CoV-2 infection (1=not serious, 5=very serious), as well as questions on their perceived feelings of safety (0=not safe, 10=extremely safe).

Results
Of our 1341 respondents, 141 had been infected with SARS-CoV-2. Median PSS score was 24 (IQR1–3=19–29), median trust in healthcare staff was 33 (IQR1–3=31–36), median perceived severity of a SARS-CoV-2 infection was 4 (IQR1–3=3–4) and the median feelings of safety score was 8 (IQR1–3=8–10). Significant differences were found between males and females for PSS scores (p

Leggi
Giugno 2022

Burden and factors associated with perceived stress amidst COVID-19: a population web-based study in Pakistan

Objective
This study aims to determine the burden and factors associated with perceived stress in the Pakistani population amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Setting
A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from April to August 2020.

Population
This survey was broadcasted on the web using a Google form link and 1654 Pakistani residents had completed this survey. Individuals belonging to any province, city, village, or district of Pakistan irrespective of any age, having internet access and a link of Google form, with English/Urdu competency, consent to participate, and currently residing in Pakistan were eligible to participate.

Outcome measure
Perceived stress was measured using a validated tool of perceived stress scale-10. Multiple ordinal regression was used, and an adjusted OR along with a 95% CI are reported.

Results
The mean score of perceived stress was 19.32 (SD ±6.67). Most of the participants screened positive for moderate (69%) and high levels (14%) of stress, respectively. The odds of high-perceived stress among severely anxious participants were 44.67 (95% CI: 21.33 to 93.53) times than participants with no/minimal generalised anxiety during the complete lockdown. However, the odds of high levels of perceived stress among moderately anxious respondents were 15.79 (95% CI: 10.19 to 24.28) times compared with participants with no/minimal anxiety during the smart lockdown.

Conclusion
This study evidence that the pandemic was highly distressing for the Pakistani population causing the maximum level of perceived stress in more than half of the population. Adequate and timely interventions are needed before high-stress levels culminate into psychological disorders.

Leggi
Giugno 2022

Prevalence and factors associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress among traffic police officers in Kathmandu, Nepal: a cross-sectional survey

Objective
This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress, associated factors and stress-coping strategies among traffic police officers in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Design
Cross-sectional survey.

Setting
Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

Participants
A total of 300 traffic police officers working under the different traffic units of Kathmandu Valley for at least 6 months were recruited via a simple random sampling procedure.

Primary outcome measures
State of depression, anxiety and stress among traffic police officers based on the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale.

Secondary outcome measures
Coping strategies under stressful conditions based on the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief-COPE) tool.

Results
Altogether 124 (41.3%) traffic police officers had symptoms of depression, 141 (47%) had anxiety symptoms and 132 (44%) had symptoms of stress. Smoking was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing symptoms of depression (adjusted OR (AOR): 10.7, 95% CI: 4.8 to 23.6), anxiety (AOR: 7.1, 95% CI: 3.4 to 14.9) and stress (AOR: 6.8, 95% CI: 3.3 to 14.1). Similarly, longer working hours was significantly associated with higher odds of experiencing symptoms of depression (AOR: 3.4, 95% CI: 1.8 to 6.4), anxiety (AOR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.3 to 3.9) and stress (AOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1 to 3.4), and lack of physical exercise was associated with an increased likelihood of exhibiting depressive symptoms (AOR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.1 to 4.7). Participants in this study used positive coping strategies more than negative coping strategies.

Conclusion
Our study found a high prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms among traffic police officers in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Smoking and longer working hours were associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, and lack of physical exercise was associated with an increased likelihood of depressive symptoms.

Leggi
Giugno 2022