The effects of stress reduction strategies of breathing technique relaxation programme and positive psychology on biochemical variable response among schoolteachers

We aimed to investigate the effects of job stress on the biochemical variables of schoolteachers before and after stress reduction strategies. In 2019, 200 schoolteachers (98 males, 102 females) in the private and fully aided higher secondary schools of urban and rural areas in Vellore, India were enrolled in the study based on the principle of consecutive sampling. Questionnaires were used to investigate demographic characteristics and occupational stress-related factors. Fasting blood glucose was detected by venous plasma and a biochemical analyser with the cut-off thresholds method. Salivary cortisol was determined by the specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit method. Total cholesterol in serum was determined by the CHOD-PAP method. Serumalbumin was detected by the bromocresol green dye-binding method on a Roche Modular DP analyser (Roche Diagnostics). Blood pressure was measured by aneroid sphygmomanometers. Levels of fasting blood glucose, salivary cortisol, albumin and cholesterol were lower in the high-tension group than those in the low-tension group. Those of the high-coping strategy group were higher than those of the low-coping strategy group. Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure significantly reduced among the intervention groups after administering the relaxation response programme for three and six weeks, respectively, to urban and rural school teachers. Occupational stress can lead to increased salivary cortisol, cholesterol, albumin, blood glucose and blood pressure levels. The relaxation response programme resulted in quantifiable improvements in physiological markers of stress in rural and urban schoolteachers.

Correlación entre los factores de riesgo intralaboral y los niveles séricos de cortisol en docentes universitarios / Correlation between intra-labor risk factors and serum levels of cortisol in professors

Los profesores universitarios se enfrentan a diferentes factores generadores de estrés laboral. Objetivo: Explorar la asociación entre los factores de riesgo psicosocial intralaboral y los niveles séricos de cortisol. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio exploratorio correlacional. La información se obtuvo de 116 profesores a quienes se aplicó un instrumento estandarizado, se realizó un examen médico y se tomó una muestra de sangre para medir los niveles de cortisol. Resultados: El 51.8% de los docentes analizados presentó riesgo psicosocial alto o muy alto asociado con la actividad desarrollada, un 31% no mostró riesgo y un 17.2% presentó riesgo bajo. No se encontró relación entre los niveles de riesgo intralaboral y los niveles séricos de cortisol de los participantes. Conclusiones: Este estudio no encontró relación entre ningún parámetro de riesgo evaluado y los niveles séricos de cortisol en la población estudiada.

The professors face up different generating job stress factors. Objective: To explore the association between the factors of psicosocial intralaboral risk and the blood levels of cortisol. Materials and methods: A correlacional exploratory study had carried out. The information was obtained of 116 professors, a standardized instrument was applied to them, a medical examination was carried out and a sample of blood was tooked to measure the levels of cortisol. Results: 51.8% of the participants qualified on high or very high risk, in these two cases with 25.9% respectively; the 31% qualified without risk (17%) or low risk (14.8%) and 16.3% corresponded to medium risk. One did not find relation between the levels of risk intralaboral and the levels séricos of cortisol of the participants. Conclusions: This study did not find relation between any evaluated risk parameter and the blood levels of cortisol in the study population.