Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire Research Articles

Burnout syndrome of coastal fishermen.

Coastal fishermen are particularly affected by occupational stress and burnout because they are exposed to high psychosocial factors at work and organizational constraints related to difficult working conditions. This survey aimed to assess the prevalence of burnout syndrome (BOS) of fishermen and its relationship with sociodemographic and occupational parameters. This cross-sectional study involved a representative sample of 761 fishermen. We used an individual questionnaire including socio-demographic and occupational parameters, the Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire, and Maslach BO Inventory. BOS includes three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and loss of self-efficacy. The positive diagnosis of BOS is retained if the scores of the three dimensions are abnormal (high for the first two and low for the third). Five hundred and twenty-six people agreed to answer the questionnaire. Of these, 16.1% had a high emotional exhaustion, 13.9% high depersonalisation, and 11.2% low personal accomplishment. Furthermore, 37.1% had at least one abnormal dimension of BOS: 16.9% had one abnormal dimension, 12.2% two, and 8% three (BOS). The prevalence of abnormal dimensions of BOS was significantly higher in pilots-copilots (67.9%), and in mechanics (63.5%) than in sailors (27.8%). It was higher in fishermen living alone (44.4%), having seasonal job (57.9%), suffering of job strain (42.1%) or isostrain (57.9%), and sleep disorders (55.4%). The multivariate logistic regression showed that job strain, isostrain, fatigue, sleep disorders, seasonal job and daily working > 14 h constituted a major risk factor of abnormal dimension of BOS. It is imperative to identify priority actions to improve the working conditions of fishermen, and to develop a genuine prevention policy.

Burnout profiles among French workers in health units for inmates: results of the EHCAU study

BackgroundHealth care personnel who work in penitentiary environments are at risk of burnout due to a variety of factors. Latest research have brought forward a classification system consisting of five burnout profiles on a continuum between engagement and burnout. The objective of this study was to measure the prevalence of these profiles among professionals working in French health units providing health services for inmates according to the three levels of care and to investigate their characteristics to propose appropriate management and prevention approaches.MethodsThis study involved a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Evaluation of Health CAre in Units for inmates (EHCAU) study, a multicentric cohort study of professionals practising in health units for inmates in eastern France. Burnout was assessed by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) at the levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Job conditions and characteristics were measured using the Karasek Job Content Questionnaire and the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire. Data on sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported health status were also collected. Differences between MBI profiles were identified using Fisher’s exact test and the Wilcoxon test.ResultsOf the 350 professionals surveyed, 150 responded (42.9%). The most frequent profiles were ineffective (36.9%) and engagement (34.8%). The burnout (7.8%), overextended (15.6%) and disengaged (5.0%) profiles made up the remaining quarter. Significant differences in the burnout profiles were observed in regard to professional occupation (p = 0.01), irregular eating hours (p = 0.04), history of complaint procedures (p = 0.05), anxiety (p < 0.0001), depression (p < 0.0001) and the mental component of self-reported quality of life (p < 0.0001).ConclusionsThese results confirm that special attention should be given to professionals working in these challenging settings. The results have important implications for theory and research and for more customized approach interventions.Trial registrationID RCB: 2018-A03029–46.

Managing Diabetes in the Workplace.

Although many adults with diabetes are productive members of the workforce, loss of work productivity has been associated with diabetes. The purpose of this study was to explore the interrelationship between work-related factors and current work ability in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study used a convergent mixed-method design. We assessed the relationship between work-related factors and work ability using bivariate statistics and logistic regression. Work ability was measured using the Work Ability Index and Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) was employed to measure job demands. Qualitative interviews (n = 30) explored the relationship between diabetes and work. The sample (n =101) was mostly female (65%) and White (74%). Most worked full-time (65%), had T2D (87%), an elevated glycated hemoglobin A1c ≥ 7% (56%), and were overweight (22%) or obese (68%). Only 33% of subjects self-reported their work ability as excellent. Four of the JCQ subscales (skill discretion, psychological demands, supervisor support, and coworker support), and work-life balance were significantly associated with work ability (all p < .05). In adjusted models, better coworker support (OR = 1.4; 95% CI = [1.04, 1.9]) and better work-life balance (OR = 1.3; 95% CI = [1.1, 1.5]) were associated with excellent work ability. Many stated their diabetes impacted them at work and spoke of the effects of stress. Few engaged in workplace wellness programs. Social support and work-life balance were associated with excellent work ability. Engaging workers with diabetes in workplace educational programs may take strategic efforts by occupational health staff.

Work-Related Stress Among Chefs: A Predictive Model of Health Complaints.

Aim: We studied occupational stress and its effects on health in a sample of Italian chefs using a structural equation modeling (SEM) analytical approach.Methods: In an online study, 710 chefs were recruited through the Italian Chefs Federation. They answered several questionnaires to evaluate whether the risk of occupational stress (measured with the Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire and Siegrist's Effort-Reward Imbalance) correlates with the quality of life and the prevalence of health complaints. We also sought to evaluate whether individual characteristics (age, sex or body mass index) or work-related factors (i.e., chef categories, job duration, and length of working day) might be considered as stress risk factors.Results: Forty-seven percent of the chefs [88% male, mean age: 44.4 ± 6.3 years; body mass index (kg/m2): 28.5 ± 1.2; job duration: 24.9 ± 4.1 years; working hours per week: 66.4 ± 28.9] reported, at least, two or more health complaints (i.e., gastrointestinal, blood pressure, and musculoskeletal problems). SEM analyses demonstrated that occupational job duration and the length of working week in chefs are significantly associated with a lower quality of life and an increasing prevalence of health complaints. This relationship is mediated by the presence of high level of occupational stress, which was revealed with a prevalence ranging from 13.8 to 24.9%. Age, sex, and unhealthy lifestyles do not affect this pattern of findings.Conclusion: Job duration and the length of working day can be considered as stress predictors in chef-related daily activity, which increase the likelihood of illness.

Occupational Stress Among Health Worker in a National Dermatology Hospital in Vietnam, 2018.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 171 doctors and nurses in a National Dermatology hospital using the Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire which has been validated in Vietnamese (JCQ-V), to assess the prevalence of occupational stress and to explore the association with some associated factors among them. The result showed that doctors and nurses with occupational stress accounted for 6.4%. This proportion was higher among nurse compared to doctor (8.0% vs. 2.2%); among those with diploma literacy compared to bachelor and above (10.6% and 2.3%). This rate was also higher in health workers under 30 years old (12.9%), health workers under 5 years at work (12.1%), working night shift from 3–4 nights (33.3%), temporary employment (12.8%), heavy workload occasionally (12.5%), and working hard occasionally (17.2%) compared to those in the comparison groups with p value <0,05. This prevalence concentrated in some departments such as surgery (11.9%), internal medicine (6.7%), dermatology, and others (1.5%). The study has not found the significant association between the prevalence of occupational stress and heavy workload and skill level. Therefore, it is essential for hospital should conduct screening all doctors, nurses, and medical staffs to identify subjects having occupational stress and give appropriate intervention.

Burnout symptomatology and social support at work independent of the private sphere: a population-based study of French teachers.

To investigate the relationship between social support at work and burnout among teachers, independent of the teachers' private social and environmental context. In the 2013 "Teachers' Quality of Life" population-based study (France, n = 2653), burnout symptomatology was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The score for each dimension (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment) was dichotomized using extreme tertiles. Global score for social support at work, and subscores by source and type were derived from the Karasek Job Content Questionnaire and were categorized into tertiles (low, medium, and high). The private context was appraised through the "social relationships" and "environment" subscales of the short version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire. Associations between social support at work and burnout indicators were evaluated among 2473 teachers with complete data, using logistic regression models adjusted for the private context plus sociodemographic and work-related characteristics. Eight percent of the teachers showed simultaneously high emotional exhaustion, high depersonalization and low personal accomplishment symptoms and were considered as burnout cases. After controlling for the private context, teachers who reported high social support at work were significantly less likely to report burnout [odds ratio (95% confidence interval) high vs. low = 0.62 (0.40, 0.98)]. When distinguishing the source of social support at work, only high social support from supervisors remained significantly associated with a lower risk of burnout [0.43 (0.27, 0.71)]. Improving social support at work, especially from a hierarchical point of view, may be an effective target to promote teacher's well-being.

Psychosocial risks in small enterprises: the mediating role of perceived working conditions in the relationship between enterprise size and workers’ anxious or depressive episodes

Purpose. The relationship between enterprise size and psychosocial working conditions has received little attention so far but some findings suggest that conditions are more favorable in small enterprises. This could have a positive impact on workers’ mental health. The objective of this study was to test the mediating effect of perceived working conditions in the relationship between enterprise size and anxious or depressive episodes. Methods. Data from the 2010 SUMER – Surveillance Médicale des Expositions aux Risques professionnels (French periodical cross-sectional survey) were analyzed; N = 31,420 for the present study. Anxious or depressive episodes were measured with the hospital anxiety and depression scale and the perceived working conditions were psychological demand, decision latitude and social support as assessed with Karasek's job content questionnaire. The indirect effect was tested according to the method proposed by Preacher and Hayes. Results. In a multivariate logistic regression, the risk of anxious or depressive episodes was found to be lower in micro enterprises (2–9 employees). Formal tests pointed to a significant indirect effect of enterprise size on mental health through perceived working conditions, with a larger effect for psychological demand. Conclusion. This study highlights perceived working conditions as an explanation of the effects of enterprise size.

Effect of Co-Driver on Job Content and Depression of Truck Drivers.

BackgroundSince the presence of a co-driver can be considered as a companion, partner, or friend for a driver through eliminating driver's loneliness, it plays a significant role in health and safety of drivers. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of co-drivers on depression and occupational stress on male truck drivers.MethodsThis study was an interventional case-control study. Seventy truck drivers were selected and divided into two groups: case (33 truck drivers with co-drivers) and control (37 truck drivers without co-drivers). Two Goldberg depression inventories (for evaluating driver's depression) and the Karasek job content questionnaire (for evaluating driver's job stress) were used to collect data which were completed by interview.ResultsThe results showed that job content values for the case group were higher in all dimensions except job nature. The comparison of the percentages showed significant difference between two groups. Depression rate in drivers with co-driver is truly less than depression rate in drivers without co-driver. There was significant positive relationship between dimensions of job content and depression rate.ConclusionAccording to the results of this study, it can be claimed that a co-driver decreases stress and loneliness of drivers, as well as increases work performance and job satisfaction, and, in turn, leads to a decrease in job-related depression.

Domains of cognitive function in early old age: which ones are predicted by pre-retirement psychosocial work characteristics?

Psychosocial work characteristics may predict cognitive functioning after retirement. However, little research has explored specific cognitive domains associated with psychosocial work environments. Our study tested whether exposure to job demands, job control and their combination during working life predicted post-retirement performance on eight cognitive tests. We used data from French GAZEL cohort members who had undergone post-retirement cognitive testing (n=2149). Psychosocial job characteristics were measured on average for 4 years before retirement using Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire (job demands, job control and demand-control combinations). We tested associations between these exposures and post-retirement performance on tests for executive function, visual-motor speed, psychomotor speed, verbal memory, and verbal fluency using ordinary least squares regression. Low job control during working life was negatively associated with executive function, psychomotor speed, phonemic fluency and semantic fluency after retirement (p's<0.05), even after adjustment for demographics, socioeconomic status, health and social behaviours and vascular risk factors. Both passive (low-demand, low-control) and high-strain (high-demand, low-control) jobs were associated with lower scores on phonemic and semantic fluency when compared to low-strain (low-demand, high-control) jobs. Low job control, in combination with both high and low-job demands, is associated with post-retirement deficits in some, but not all, cognitive domains. In addition to work stress, associations between passive work and subsequent cognitive function may implicate lack of cognitive engagement at work as a risk factor for future cognitive difficulties.

THE EFFECT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE SKILLS ON NURSES’ JOB STRESS IN PSYCHIATRIC UNITS

Background: This study aimed to determine of effects of emotional intelligence skills on nurses' job stress in Psychiatry units (2015). Methods: in this semi experimental study, the study population consisted of Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital nurses.76 persons were selected, that selected, that is based on input standards and calculation of volume sample. Data were collected with Bar-on emotional intelligence and karasek Job Content questionnaire. Results: Results showed that the mean emotional intelligence Score was 329/72± 29/91in intervention group, before intervention, which respectively reached to 354/51± 37/27after implementation of the intervention and this difference was Significant in intervention group (p=0/003). The mean job stress Score was 95/65± 14/54 in intervention group, before intervention, which respectively reached to 84/37± 21/05 after implementation of the intervention and this difference was Significant in intervention group (p=0/001). Conclusion: the result revealed that emotional intelligence skill training can reduced nurse's job stress in department of Psychiatry.

Occupational Stress and Burnout among Lawyers in Sri Lanka

The aim of this study was to explore the associations between occupational stress measured through job demand control (JDC), and burnout among lawyers in Sri Lanka. The job demand-control model and the burnout model are among the most used theoretical frameworks that relate job characteristics to health and well-being of individuals. This study included 290 respondent lawyers practicing in the metropolitan districts in Sri Lanka. Karasek's job content questionnaire was used to measure occupational stress, while the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory were used to measure personal, work-related and client-related burnout. Regression analysis was used to determine the association between occupational stress and burnout among lawyers. Lawyers reported relatively high scores of job control and psychological job demand. They also reported high social support. High levels of personal burnout and client-related burnout were also reported. Personal burnout and work-related burnout were associated with psychological job demand.

Work-related depression and associated factors in a shoe manufacturing factory in Haiphong City, Vietnam.

To determine the prevalence and associated factors of work-related depression among the employees of a shoe manufacturing factory in Haiphong City, Vietnam. We carried out this cross-sectional study among 420 workers in 2012 in Le Lai II Shoe Manufacturing Factory in Haiphong City, Vietnam using Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM IV) tool for measuring depression. The study results show that a relatively high proportion of workers (20.7%) belongs to the high-strain group based on Karasek's model. The prevalence of work-related depression among workers was relatively high (18.8%). The factors associated with depression at work were high psychological demand (adjusted OR = 3.0, 95% CI: 1.1-8.3), low social support (adjusted OR = 4.7, 95% CI: 1.2-12.8), inadequate work protection materials (OR = 4.1, 95% CI: 2.2-10.1) and work absenteeism (OR = 6.2, 95% CI: 2.5-18.9). Strengthening the social support network (involving supervisors and co-workers), reducing psychological job demand and assuring work protection materials at the workplace may highly facilitate reducing work-related depression.

Relationship between occupational stress and burnout among Chinese teachers: a cross-sectional survey in Liaoning, China.

Teaching has been reported to be one of the most stressful occupations in the world. Few studies have been conducted to explore the effects of occupational stress on burnout among teachers in developing countries. This study aimed to explore the relationship between occupational stress and burnout among teachers in primary and secondary schools in the Liaoning Province of China. A questionnaire that assessed occupational stress comprised of Karasek's job content questionnaire (JCQ), Siegrist's effort-reward imbalance questionnaire (ERI), and burnout assessed by the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey was distributed to 681 teachers in primary and secondary schools. A total of 559 effective respondents became our final study subjects. Hierarchical linear regression and logistic regression analyses were performed through the use of SPSS 17.0 to explore the association between occupational stress and burnout. A high level of emotional exhaustion was significantly associated with high extrinsic effort, high overcommitment, low skill discretion, and high job demand. A high level of cynicism was associated with low reward, low skill discretion, high overcommitment, and low supervisor support. The low level of professional efficacy was associated with low coworker support, low reward, low skill discretion, and high job demand. Compared to the JCQ, the ERI was more likely to explain the burnout of teachers in our study. Occupational stress proved to be associated with dimensions of burnout among Chinese teachers. It is important for administrators of primary and middle schools to note that strategies to decrease teachers' occupational stress seem to be crucial to enhance physical and mental health of teachers in China.

Job strain as a risk factor for the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus: findings from the MONICA/KORA Augsburg cohort study.

To examine whether job strain is associated with an increased risk of subsequent Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) development in a population-based study of men and women. Data were derived from the prospective MONICA/KORA Augsburg study. We investigated 5337 working participants aged 29 to 66 years without diabetes at one of the three baseline surveys. Job strain was measured by the Karasek job content questionnaire. High job strain was defined by the quadrant approach, where high job demands combined with low job control were classified as high job strain. Continuous job strain (quotient of job demands divided by job control) was additionally analyzed as sensitivity analysis. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models with adjustment for age, sex, survey, socioeconomic and life-style variables, parental history of diabetes, and body mass index. During a median follow-up of 12.7 years, 291 incident cases of T2DM were observed. The participants with high job strain at baseline had a 45% higher fully adjusted risk to develop T2DM than did those with low job strain (HR = 1.45 [95% confidence interval = 1.00-2.10], p = .048). On the continuous scale, more severe job strain in the magnitude of 1 standard deviation corresponded to a 12% increased fully adjusted T2DM risk (HR = 1.12 [95% confidence interval = 1.00-1.25], p = .045). Men and women who experience high job strain are at higher risk for developing T2DM independently of traditional risk factors. Preventive strategies to combat the globally increasing T2DM epidemic should take into consideration the adverse effects of high strain in the work environment.

Working conditions and mental health in teachers: a preliminary study.

Unfavourable working conditions are associated with poor mental health and many studies show that teachers are at risk of this. To investigate if and to what extent specific dimensions of working conditions are associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety in teachers in state schools in Italy. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey of Italian state schoolteachers using the Karasek Job Content Questionnaire, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). We tested the hypotheses that high job demand, low decision latitude and low support are associated with anxiety and depression in teachers using a correlation matrix and hierarchical multiple regression models. 113/180 (63%) of schoolteachers invited to participate completed the survey. 49% scored above the cut-off on CES-D and 11% on SAS. CES-D was positively correlated with job demand (r = 0.517, P < 0.01) and negatively with social support (r = -0.226, P < 0.05). SAS was positively correlated with job demand (r = 0.408, P < 0.01). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that job demand was significantly associated with CES-D and SAS scores, explaining 28 and 25% of variance respectively. About half of the teachers in this study scored above the threshold for depression and ~1 in 10 for anxiety on self-rating questionnaires. Poor mental health in teachers is significantly associated with high job demand and low social support. These results should be confirmed in larger, more representative samples.

The Effect of Age on the Relationships between Work‐related Factors and Heavy Drinking

The aim of this study was to investigate age-related differences in the relationship between work-related factors and heavy drinking. This study in 3,398 male workers at a factory in Japan examined data on heavy drinking, defined as an alcohol consumption >40 g/day, and work-related factors including occupation, shift work, and job stress evaluated using the Japanese version of the Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). In the present cross-sectional study, alcohol consumption was assessed using a self-administered diet history questionnaire (DHQ). The prevalence of heavy drinkers in the study population was 15.5% and rose with increasing age. An increase in the odds ratio (OR) for heavy drinking was observed consistently in blue-collar workers compared with white-collar workers in all age groups. In subjects aged 20-29 years, shift work had also increased the OR for heavy drinking. In subjects aged 40-49 years, the two groups with a lower decision latitude had an increased OR compared with the highest group. In subjects aged 20-29 years, the age adjusted OR for individuals who received the lowest level of social support in the workplace was increased significantly compared with the highest group (4.22 [95%CI, 1.07-16.62] ). On the other hand, social support showed a positive association with heavy drinking in subjects aged 40-49 and 50-59 years. Job demand was not related to heavy drinking in any of the age groups. Our findings suggest that occupation and work schedule are related to alcohol use more apparently in a younger age group and that psychosocial factors are related to enhancement or prevention of alcohol use.

Validation of the Karasek-Job Content Questionnaire to Measure Job Strain in Vietnam

The objective of this study was to validate the Karasek-Job Content Questionnaire in Vietnamese. A translation/back-translation of the questionnaire was performed prior to its administration to 344 health personnel in Vietnam. Several psychometric properties of the Vietnamese version of the Karasek-Job Content Questionnaire were assessed. A valid Vietnamese version of the Karasek-Job Content Questionnaire was produced, composed of five subscales based on the original theoretical model: Psychological demands, Social support at work, Decision latitude-Autonomy, Decision latitude-Authority, and Skill discretion. Internal consistency and reliability coefficients for each subscale of the questionnaire were satisfactory. The correlations with depression and work absence indicators were weak but statistically significant, as expected. The Vietnamese version of the Karasek-Job Content Questionnaire will help Vietnamese researchers and clinicians appropriately evaluate and document the job strain of workers in Vietnamese workplaces.

Occupational stress and biomechanical risk in a high fashion clothing company

Psychosocial discomfort may amplify job-related risk factors. The aim of this study is to evaluate job stress in a high fashion clothing company with upper limb biomechanical overload due to repetitive and forceful manual activities. Biomechanical risk was analyzed and in part reduced using the OCRA Check list. A total of 518 workers (433 females and 85 males) were investigated to determine anxiety (by STAI 1 and 2), occupational stress (using the Italian version of the Karasek Job Content Questionnaire) and perception of symptoms. Final biomechanical assessment did not reveal high risk jobs, except for cutting. Although the perception of anxiety and job insecurity was within the normal range, all the workers showed a high level of job strain (correlated with the perception of symptoms) due, probably, to very low decision latitude. It was suggested that job strain may increase the perception of symptoms. Moreover, the result of this study indicates that musculoskeletal overload has to be further analyzed since its low level is not in agreement with the level of discomfort due to the repetitive tasks.

Stress perception among employees in a French University Hospital

Nantes University Hospital comprises 20 activity sectors. To investigate the role of the work environment at the individual level, as well as the workplace level, in explaining the variability in employees' perception of stress. A self-administered enhanced Karasek Job Content Questionnaire was sent to employees. The main variables were the psychological job demand (PJD) score and the job decision latitude (JDL) score. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate crude odds ratio (OR) and adjusted OR. One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight workers were included. Nursing managers (25.9 ± 3.4), non-specialized nurses (25.6 ± 3.5) and physicians (25.3 ± 3.4) had the highest PJD. Cleaning staff (61.4 ± 11.4) and nurse aides (63.6 ± 8.8) had the lowest JDL. Items correlated with high PJD are: unacceptable work schedule, adjusted OR 2.16 (95% CI = 1.3-3.5); unsatisfactory workstation accessibility, OR 1.92 (95% CI = 1.1-3.2); getting from A to B, OR 1.67 (95% CI = 1.2-2.4); and heavy manual handling, OR 1.62 (95% CI = 1.1-2.3). Sleeping tablet use was linked to high PJD (P < 0.01), extra workload (P < 0.05) and tiredness (P < 0.05). Use of painkillers was correlated with musculoskeletal disorders (P < 0.05). Our study highlighted women >40 years old, nurse managers, physicians, permanent and/or full-time workers having a high PJD. Nursing aides, medical secretary and nurses presented with high strain. Better control measures should be implemented for those socioprofessional categories to improve prevention measures. This study should be repeated in the future with a multi-centre approach to determine the generalizability of the findings.

Gender Differences in Occupational Stress and Health among Legal Professionals in Taiwan

This study sought to determine gender differences in occupational stress and health and to compare the strength of association between two occupational stress models, demand-control-support (DCS) and effort-reward imbalance (ERI), on poor health among male and female legal professionals. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 193 male and 170 female legal professionals from 6 district courts, 1 appeals court, 3 District Procurators Offices and 26 law firms. The Chinese versions of Karasek job content questionnaire (C-JCQ) and Siegrist effort-reward imbalance questionnaire (C-ERI) were used to evaluate occupational stress, and the International Quality of Life Assessment Short Form-36 (IQOLA SF-36) questionnaire to evaluate health. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratio of poor health among female legal professionals versus male legal professionals, and the gender-specific association between DCS and ERI models and poor health adjusted for age, marital status, job content, years of work experience, and working hours per day. Results: Male legal professionals scored significantly higher on job control (70.54 vs. 66.46) and job satisfaction (59.99 vs. 57.45) than did female legal professionals. Females scored significantly lower on physical function (90.23 vs. 93.80), bodily pain (72.73 vs. 77.68), social function (66.25 vs. 72.85) and mental health (58.02 vs. 62.41) than did males. There was a significant gender difference in the association between occupational stress and poor health. We found that men’s poor health was more significantly related to job strain while effort-reward imbalance was associated equally with poor health in both males and females. Conclusions: Gender differences exist in occupational stress, health and the strength of association between occupational stress models and poor health among legal professionals in Taiwan.