Prevalence of stress level among Bank employees in urban Puducherry, India

Job Burnout and Perceived Stress among Bank Officers of Meerut: A Cross Sectional Study

Introduction

Burnout is often misconstrued for stress, whereas it is one of the consequences of stress when not managed prosperously. Stress leads to apprehensiveness, loss of energy, and the primary damage is physical. Whereas, burnout is characterized by disengagement where emotions are blunted thus fostering helplessness and hopelessness leading to detachment and despondence, loss of motivation and ideals with the primary damage being emotional.

Objectives

To find out the prevalence and severity of stress and burnout among bank officers in Meerut District and to find the correlation between the two parameters.

Methods

Banks were selected by simple random sampling through computer random table method for our study. Further, officer grade bank employees were approached for data collection. A prevalidated seven-point Likert scale Shriom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire was used for the assessment of burnout. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests by EPI Info and Microsoft Excel 2013.

Result

19.7% bank officers have pathological burnout followed by 55.1% of bank officers who are at the brink of developing burnout. Severe stress was found only among 7.9% bank officers, whereas burnout was present in 19.4%. A positive correlation was found between stress and burnout.

Conclusion

It was found that stress and job burnout are linked but do not entirely overlap, with individuals having a high risk of job burnout experiencing only moderate stress. Therefore, perceived stress cannot be taken as the only indicator of risk of burnout.

Face, content, criterion and construct validity assessment of a newly developed tool to assess and classify work-related stress (TAWS- 16)

INTRODUCTION

As work-stress, is associated with Non Communicable Diseases, and decreased work productivity, health and economic benefits are expected from periodic work-stress screening among employees using valid and reliable tools. Tool to Assess and classify Work Stress (TAWS- 16) was developed to overcome limitations in existing work-stress assessment tools in India. This study aims to test face, content, criterion and construct validity of TAWS- 16 in a sample of managerial-supervisory employees.

METHODS

Nine domain experts rated face and content validity of TAWS- 16. Content validity was measured by Content Validity Indices (I-CVI, S-CVI) and Modified Kappa statistics. Empirical validity was tested by analysing data reported from 356 Information Technology (IT) professionals wherein Exploratory Factor Analysis was conducted for the assessment of Construct Validity. Self-reported data was collected in an unlinked and anonymous manner using a web-link, which was emailed to the study subjects, after initial introductory telephone or personal conversation. Criterion Validity was tested against stress sub-scale of DASS- 21. This study was approved by NIMHANS ethics committee.

RESULTS

Findings revealed that TAWS- 16 has good face validity. The content validity is acceptable (CVI = 0.829). Construct Validity is appropriate as 60.8% of the total variance was explained by the factors identified in our study. Criterion Validity was moderate (Kappa Value 0.208) due to inappropriate work-stress instrument for comparison with TAWS- 16.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, TAWS- 16 demonstrated good face, content and construct validity. It measures work-stressors, coping abilities and psycho-somatic symptoms associated with work-stress. We recommend use of TAWS- 16 for periodic screening and classification of work-stress among employees.

Association of occupations with decreased semen quality in eastern China: a cross-sectional study of 12 301 semen donors

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to examine the association between occupational factors and semen quality in semen donors in eastern China.

METHODS

We recruited 12 301 semen donors from 2006 to 2020 as the studying population. A self-designed questionnaire was applied for collecting lifestyle and work style information. Semen samples were analysed according to WHO guidelines. A crude and adjusted linear regression model was used to analyse the association between occupational factors and semen quality.

RESULTS

College students accounted for 36.2% of all semen donors. The majority (81.3%) of semen donors were between 18 year and 30 years. Soldiers or the police had the highest semen volume (the median value=3.8 mL), however, they had the lowest sperm concentration (53.6×10⁶/ml) and sperm motility (45.5%). Workers in finance or insurance had an elevated risk of low semen volume, sperm concentration and total sperm count (OR=1.43, 1.57 and 1.98, respectively). Unemployed men had a high risk of low sperm concentration and low total sperm count (OR=1.84 and 1.58, respectively). Working in the information technology industry had a deleterious effect on the progressive motility of sperm (OR=1.27, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.57).

CONCLUSION

Our study indicated that sedentary work style and intensive sports in certain professions might be associated with decreased semen quality. We reported evidence of becoming unemployed on the damage to semen quality. Hence, we advocate a healthy work style to improve semen quality in eastern China.

Power outage and proactive service performance: the role of patient incivility and job stress

Purpose

Drawing from transactional stress and conservation of resource theories, this study untangles the relationship between power outage, patient incivility, job stress and proactive service performance. Further, this study also explores the mediating role of patient incivility and job stress.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire-based survey was used, and data were collected from 275 healthcare professionals working in various public hospitals in Pakistan through convenience sampling. Structural equation modeling (SEM) via Smart PLS was used for data analysis.

Findings

Results revealed that power outage has significant positive impact on patient incivility and patient incivility has significant direct effect on job stress. Job stress has significant negative relationship with proactive service performance. Findings also confirmed that patient incivility mediates the relationship between power outage and job stress, and job stress mediates the relationship between patient incivility and proactive service performance.

Practical implications

This study helps the health administrators to think about the service standards of the public hospitals. Implications of this study are not limited to health sector. This study is useful for other service sectors where performance of employee affected by power outage. In addition to this, the current research helps to conduct research in other developing and underdeveloped countries which also face the problem of power outage.

Originality/value

This study marks the first step toward establishing power outage as an organizational behavior construct by demonstrating that power outage impacts significantly on proactive service performance. This study also explored the relationship between job stress and proactive service performance which was also not explored before.

Work-related stress in the banking sector: a study on an Italian aged population of over 2,000 workers

INTRODUCTION

In the European Union, the employment rate for the population in the age group 55-64 years has greatly increased in the last two decades. Companies, especially in sectors such as banking, are looking for new strategies to improve the productivity of workers in this age group.

OBJECTIVES

This study was conceived with the purpose of exploring the associations between job characteristics that could influence stress and certain organizational aspects in a large population of banking workers.

METHODS

More than 2,000 workers over 50 years of age of an Italian banking group participated in the study. Work-related stress was measured with the Stress Questionnaire (SQ). Organizational aspects of work were measured with a dedicated scale included in the SQ. Demographic aspects were detected by specific questions. Structural equation modelling was used and correlation coefficients were calculated.

RESULTS

The results from the structural equation modeling supported the theoretical model. Organizational policies are associated with both stress correlated factors (β=0.468) and perceptions of supervisor support and social support (β=0.710). The perception of both parameters is associated with stress outcomes (β=0.365). The proposed model offered better results than a competitive model, on which a total mediation was tested, rather than a partial one (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The results highlight the importance of an integrated assessment of the effects of organizational aspects of work and stress factors to implement the protection of physical and mental health. Further research will help to understand more thoroughly if the issues emerged are effectively related to age. This can be assessed through a case-control study that also includes younger workers.

Work-related stress in the banking sector: a study on an Italian aged population of over 2,000 workers

INTRODUCTION

In the European Union, the employment rate for the population in the age group 55-64 years has greatly increased in the last two decades. Companies, especially in sectors such as banking, are looking for new strategies to improve the productivity of workers in this age group.

OBJECTIVES

This study was conceived with the purpose of exploring the associations between job characteristics that could influence stress and certain organizational aspects in a large population of banking workers.

METHODS

More than 2,000 workers over 50 years of age of an Italian banking group participated in the study. Work-related stress was measured with the Stress Questionnaire (SQ). Organizational aspects of work were measured with a dedicated scale included in the SQ. Demographic aspects were detected by specific questions. Structural equation modelling was used and correlation coefficients were calculated.

RESULTS

The results from the structural equation modeling supported the theoretical model. Organizational policies are associated with both stress correlated factors (β=0.468) and perceptions of supervisor support and social support (β=0.710). The perception of both parameters is associated with stress outcomes (β=0.365). The proposed model offered better results than a competitive model, on which a total mediation was tested, rather than a partial one (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The results highlight the importance of an integrated assessment of the effects of organizational aspects of work and stress factors to implement the protection of physical and mental health. Further research will help to understand more thoroughly if the issues emerged are effectively related to age. This can be assessed through a case-control study that also includes younger workers.

Are Bank Employees Stressed? Job Perception and Positivity in the Banking Sector: An Italian Observational Study

Background: The epidemiology of stress on bank workers in Europe is only at the introductory stages. This study investigated for the first time the association between occupational stress level in bank-employees using the BEST8, Karasek-Model and socio-demographic and working factors in Italy. Methods: The observational pilot study involved 384 employees. Three questionnaires were adopted to collect data: Karasek-Model, BEST8 (p < 0.001) and Positivity-Scale. Results: 25% of the sample belonged to high stress group. The workers more stressed were older with a commercial role and consumer of antidepressants/sedatives. Women were much more likely to agree with the perception of feeling unsafe in a possible robbery (OR = 2.42; 95% CI: 1.50–3.91) and with that sales requests were in conflict with one’s own personal moral code (OR = 2.31; 95% CI: 1.38–3.87). Older employees declared feeling inadequate in the workplace (OR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.07–3.65) and younger employees referred to be anxious about meeting financial budget goals. Workers who had a low positivity had a lower probability of adaptation (OR = 0.88; 95% CI: 0.83–0.93). Conclusions: The occupational stress level in the banking sector involves many aspects: gender, type of bank, role, personal morals, high job-demands, low level of decision-making. This study recommended that banks should implement strategic interventions for well-being of employees, and consequently for their productivity.

Prevalence of Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption among Fishermen in Udupi Taluk' Karnataka, India: a Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Stress associated with fishing is known to trigger consumption of alcohol and tobacco among fishermen. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of tobacco and alcohol consumption among fishermen in Udupi Taluk in the state of Karnataka, India, and to study associations with health status and job stress.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was conducted among 825 fishermen in Udupi Taluk of Karnataka between January-June 2015, using a two stage cluster sampling procedure. Associations between variables of interest were assessed using multivariable analysis and logistic regression models.

RESULTS

The prevalences of consumption of tobacco, alcohol and either of these substances were 64.2%, 45.6% and 86.9% respectively. There was a positive association between alcohol and any form of tobacco consumption with income but none with respondent's job stress and health status.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study concluded that fishermen with poor health status are seen more among tobacco and alcohol users.