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Assessment of work related stress among female public service workers in Kaunas

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Central European Journal of Medicine

Abstract

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to investigate work-related stress and its associations with the sense of coherence and psychosocial work characteristics.

Methods

The study sample was comprised of 484 employed women. The study evaluated independent variables, such as work-related psychosocial factors and the sense of coherence as well as work-related stress — which was the dependent variable.

Results

The prevalence rates of behavioral, somatic, and cognitive stress among the respondents were found to be high −75.9%, 60.9%, and 63.4%respectively. The study showed that the prevalence rates of work-related demands were also high, but despite that, influence at work, possibilities for development, and the sense of coherence were found to be extremely weak. A strong association was found between the sense of coherence and all three stress factors — the odds ratio for behavioral stress was 24.69 (95% CI = 9.87−61.85), for somatic — 6 (95% CI = 3.38−10.65), and for cognitive — 16 (95% CI = 8.11−31.5).

Conclusion

The study discovered a strong relationship between a weak sense of coherence and work-related stress. The relationship between adverse psychosocial work conditions and work-related stress was not strong — only high work demands and social support were found to be significant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine of Medical Academy of Kaunas University of Health Sciences, Eivenių g. 4-115, LT -50161, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Gintare Kaliniene, Ruta Ustinaviciene & Lina Skemiene

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  1. Gintare Kaliniene
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  2. Ruta Ustinaviciene
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  3. Lina Skemiene
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Correspondence to Gintare Kaliniene.

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Kaliniene, G., Ustinaviciene, R. & Skemiene, L. Assessment of work related stress among female public service workers in Kaunas. cent.eur.j.med 8, 861–870 (2013). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11536-013-0222-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11536-013-0222-1

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