Prevalence of Occupational Stress and its associated factors among Industrial Workers of North Karnataka

Abstract

Introduction: Job related stress is increasing in today's world as companies adapt to newer technology causing mismatch in skill and resources, leading to mental distress among employees. Causes of occupational stress include long working hours, inadequate pay and workplace conditions. In India, the prevalence of moderate stress levels is 9.5%, with 10-20 persons in 1,000 suffering from some mental illness.

Aim: To study the prevalence of occupational stress and its associated factors among industrial workers.

Materials and Methods: A single questionnaire having 2 components was prepared, the first uses the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), a classic stress assessment instrument comprising questions on how often one felt a certain way during the last month. The second component aims at establishing the leading factors of occupational stress through questions regarding their working conditions, salary, etc.  Blood samples withdrawn from the workers were used to measure Vitamin D levels using chemiluminescence micro-particle immunoassay (CMIA). 

Results: 3.4% of the 119 workers had low stress levels, 84% had moderate stress levels and 12.6% had high stress levels, with the number of breaks, sleep schedule and Vitamin D levels showing the highest association. More than 50% of the employees had insufficient (20-30ng/ml) or deficient (<20ng/ml) vitamin D levels, which correlated with their stress levels.

Conclusion: Stress causes psychological and physical changes in an individual, leading to cardiovascular (hypertension, myocardial infarction etc.) and musculoskeletal (joint pain, muscle pain and improper posture) diseases.