Prevalence and Risk Factors of Work Related Stress in the Medical Emergency Services in Douala, Cameroon

Abstract

Background: Healthcare workers are exposed to work related stress in the course of their activities. We conducted this study to determine the prevalence of work-related stress and search for its associated factors among healthcare workers assigned to the emergency medical services of public hospitals in Douala. Methods: The cross-sectional and analytical study was carried out from March 27th to June 30th, 2017 in 8 public hospitals in Douala. The sampling method was non-random, consisting of consecutive recruitment of volunteer healthcare staff working in the emergency departments of public hospitals who provided the framework for the study. The level of stress was measured using the French version of KARASEK’s psychometric scale. The analysis was performed with SPSS 20.0 software. The study was authorized and obtained an clearance was granted. Results: The sample consists of 51 men (33.55%) and 101 women (66.44%). The average age is 34.6 ± 5.4 years. Nurses (54.6%) and healthcare staff aged 30 to 39 years (61.2%) predominates in the sample. Day / night shift work is the main form of work done by ¾ staff (75.6%). The prevalence of stress is 78.9% and the associated risk factors are the following: belonging to a 4th category hospital (p = 0.008), medical professions (p = 0.001), nurses (p = 0.0002), work experience of less than 10 years (p = 0.04) and exclusive night shifts (p = 0.02). Conclusion: Continuous improvement of the working conditions must be implemented inside the various facilities to mitigate the consequences of work related stress among the healthcare workers.