Abstract
BackgroundWork-related stress is widely recognized as one of the major challenges to occupational health and safety. The correlation between work-related stress risk factors and physical health outcomes is widely acknowledged. This study investigated socio-demographic and occupational variables involved in perceived risk of work-related stress.MethodsThe Italian version of the Health and Safety Executive Management Standards Indicator Tool was used in a large survey to examine the relationship between work-related stress risks and workers’ demographic and occupational characteristics. Out of 8,527 questionnaires distributed among workers (from 75 organizations) 6,378 were returned compiled (74.8%); a set of mixed effects models were adopted to test single and combined effects of the variables on work-related stress risk.ResultsFemale workers reported lower scores on control and peer support and more negative perceptions of relationships and change at work than male workers, most of them with full-time contracts. Age, job seniority, and educational level appeared positively correlated with control at work, but negatively with job demands. Fixed-term workers had positive perceptions regarding job demands and relationships, but more difficulties about their role at work than permanent workers. A commuting time longer than one hour and shift work appeared to be associated with higher levels of risk factors for work-related stress (except for role), the latter having more negative effects, increasing with age.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that the assessment and management of work-related stress risk should consider specific socio-demographic and occupational risk factors such as gender, age, educational level, job status, shift work, commuting time, job contracts.
Highlights
Work-related stress is widely recognized as one of the major challenges to occupational health and safety
The most susceptible groups were female workers, for whom part –time work is one way of reducing the difficulties of balancing work and family commitments, better-educated workers, especially those who are overqualified for the jobs assigned, and shift workers, especially older ones
Commuting time was confirmed as having an effect on work-related stress risk, whereas part–time work, especially for women, and fixed-term contracts had potentially protective effects
Summary
Work-related stress is widely recognized as one of the major challenges to occupational health and safety. The assessment, prevention and control of work-related stress risk are widely recognized as one of the major challenges to occupational health and safety [1]. Workrelated stress is the second most common work-related health complaint among workers in the European Union (EU) and recent findings of large European surveys are consistent with a tendency to an increasing prevalence of work-related stress risks [2,3]. There has been widespread pressure for the inclusion of those social and individual factors as determinants of workers’ health and, according to Marmot [11], of health inequalities
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