Changes in work-related stressors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: differences by gender and parental status

Work-related stress is associated with low work ability, but not with poor self-rated health: A cross-sectional study in primary healthcare

BACKGROUND

People seeking care at primary healthcare centres may be exposed to work-related stress, increasing the risk of future sick leave. Thus, it is important to identify work-related stress, and to explore how stress relates to work ability and health.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between work-related stress and a) work ability, and b) self-rated health, among working women and men seeking care for physical or mental health complaints.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study analyzed baseline data (n = 232) from a randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of a brief intervention to prevent sick leave. Data regarding work-related stress, work ability and self-rated health were analyzed using binary logistic regression models.

RESULTS

In models adjusted for age, gender and education, high work-related stress measured by the Work Stress Questionnaire was significantly associated with low work ability. The highest odds ratio (OR 3.27, 95% CI 1.66-6.42) was found between the domain "interference between work and leisure time" and work ability, suggesting a more than three times higher odds for low work ability when perceiving that work interferes with leisure time. No significant association was found between work-related stress and self-rated health.

CONCLUSION

Health professionals should explore patients' work-related stress when they seek care for physical or mental complaints in primary healthcare. Patients' perceived balance between work and leisure time seems particularly important to address. Increased awareness might facilitate timely, relevant strategies to reduce stress and promote work ability.

Descriptive analysis of occupational accidents in Spain and their relationship with heatwaves

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this work is to carry out a descriptive analysis of occupational accidents and to evaluate the relationship between heatwaves and work accidents in Spain's three most populated provinces: Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.

METHODS

Daily data of work accidents (including for each case: gender, age, date, length of time in the position, type of work, place of accident and duration of medical leave) was collected. A heatwave was defined when daily mean temperatures above the threshold (95th percentile) of the climatological period (1990-2021) were recorded for at least three consecutive days. To estimate the association between daily workplace accidents and heatwave events, we applied a Generalized Additive Model combined with a Distributed Lag Non-linear Model with a quasi-Poisson distribution.

RESULTS

The average annual accident rate was 33.2 work accidents/100,000 employees in Madrid, 35.8 work accidents/100,000 employees in Barcelona and 31.8 work accidents/100,000 employees in Valencia. The total accident rates followed a downward trend between 2005 and 2021. The difference in work accident rates between sex decreased over the studied period (p < 0.005). In the first month of work, the highest casualty rate occurs among construction workers in Madrid and Barcelona, and in primary sector workers in Valencia. Work accidents tend to increase during heatwaves. The highest risk was recorded when considering a cumulative lagged effect of 3 days in Madrid and Barcelona and 5 days in Valencia.

CONCLUSIONS

Since work accidents increase during heatwaves, risk prevention services and public administrations must take special measures to prevent them.