Abstract
Physical activity impacts positively on stress and anxiety. Working conditions affect the quality of life by increasing stress levels, which can affect job performance and work absence. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Work Ability Index (WAI), Transtheoretical Model (TTM), as well as heart rate variability (HRV) have been applied to monitor the state of workers in their job. The aim of this study was to analyze PSS, WAI, and TTM classifications, and to find out how are they linked to physiological stress (HRV). One hundred and thirteen office workers responded to the three questionnaires and their HRV was monitored for at least two full days. Groups were set up according to TTM (Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3–4, Stage 5), WAI (weak WAI, medium WAI, good WAI), and PSS (low PSS, medium PSS, high PSS). Results obtained from the test were related to stress values measured by HRV with a Bodyguard2 device. The Stage 5 group from TTM had better HVR and stress levels than the other groups for both women and men (p < 0.05). Participants in the good WAI group and low PSS group had better results than weak WAI and high PSS, but the differences with respect to medium WAI and medium PSS were less clear. Finally, TTM seemed to be the best tool to discriminate physiological stress in office workers with regard to other questionnaires.
Highlights
Low investments in health and safety promotion carried out by companies can have a huge impact on workers
The aim of this study was to analyze each of the previously described questionnaires that measure psychological stress (PSS), work ability (WAI) and the behavioral changes, which is influenced by physical activity (TTM), and to find out how are they linked to physiological stress, in order to facilitate the measurement of this variable in future companies and find out the state of mental health of their workers by applying a questionnaire
This study aimed to compare physiological stress measured by heart rate variability (HRV) between the groups classified through the questionnaires state of change as a result of Transtheoretical Model (TTM), work ability measured by Work Ability Index (WAI), and psychological stress from Perceived Stress Scale (PSS); to understand which of these three questionnaires is able to better discriminate the level of physiological stress
Summary
Low investments in health and safety promotion carried out by companies can have a huge impact on workers. The World Health Organization (WHO) define health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” [2]. In accordance with this definition, companies promote initiatives that include a variety of physical wellbeing dimensions worthy of assessment. Among others, these include professional satisfaction, fatigue, burnout, engagement, emotional stress, and several factors influencing the quality of life, such as physical activity, nutrition, or social health [3]. One of the reasons is that they are usually connected
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