Work-related stress and the mental health status of retail commerce workers from Nicaragua: a cross-sectional web-based survey

Abstract

Background and aim: In Currently, there are very few studies, that evaluate the consequences of occupational stress on mental health in Nicaraguan workers. Here, we studied the association between the levels of work-related stress (WRS) and the mental health status of retail commerce workers from Nicaragua. Method: We carried out a descriptive cross-sectional study by conducting a web-based survey between August 1st and September 30th, 2021 through an online self-administered questionnaire, which was made available on the Google Forms platform. Subjects were randomly selected from an available database at the Social Security National Institute and were invited to participate by e-mail. Out of 1,212 invitations, 910 subjects completed the questionnaire. The ILO-WHO Occupational Stress Scale was used to assess stress levels, and the mental health component of the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to assess emotional health. Results: Overall, 40% of participants were classified as having WRS risk levels. On the other hand, 1out 5 workers experienced severe stress. The proportion of cases currently classified as experiencing a probable mental or emotional health disorder was 30% (GHQ-12 with a score ≥12 points). Workers with a significant level of stress or severe level of stress had a 3 to 5-fold increased risk of experiencing a probable mental or emotional disorder. Other factors that were also associated with the presence of a probable emotional health disorder were being female, sleeping less than 7 hours regularly, experiencing mobbing at the workplace, and having experienced workplace violence. Conclusion: This study showed a highly significant association between work relates stress levels and the presence of mental or emotional health disorders. WRS continues to represent a serious occupational and public health problem in Nicaragua. Keywords: work-related stress, mental health, retail commerce, Nicaragua.