The association of shift work and hypertension among male factory workers in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.

Shift work associated with various health problems and there is concern that shift workers are at higher risk to develop hypertension. A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2003 to May 2004 to compare the prevalence of hypertension and to examine the relationship between shift work and hypertension among 148 randomly selected male workers from one of the factories in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Information on psychosocial and life-style factors, anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, and fasting blood sugar and lipid profiles analyses were obtained. The prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher among shift workers (22.4%) compared to day workers (4.2%), with p-value of 0.001. Shift work was significantly associated with hypertension (adjusted odds ratio 9.1; 95% CI 1.4-56.7).

Risk factors of job-related depression in laboratory technicians in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) and Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) hospitals in Kelantan.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the risk factors of job-related depression in laboratory technicians in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) and Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) Hospitals in Kelantan, between September 2001 and February 2002. One hundred and two laboratory technicians from HUSM and 79 from KKM Hospitals were selected and 84 (82.4%) from HUSM and 71 (89.9%) from KKM Hospitals were recruited as study subjects. Data were collected by self-administered questionnaire using the validated Malay version of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), originally developed by Robert Karasek. The results indicated significant associations between the risk factors of job-related depression, and low social support, and high psychological demands (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.1-8.8) in laboratory technicians in HUSM. However, for laboratory technicians in KKM Hospitals, the significant association was between job-related depression, and low social support and low decision authority (OR 9.7, 95% CI 1.1-91.1). Low social support was highly associated with job-related depression in laboratory technicians in HUSM and KKM Hospitals. We, therefore, conclude that low social support positively predicted depression in laboratory technicians in HUSM and KKM Hospitals. In addition, high psychological demands also significantly predicted depression in laboratory technicians in HUSM; however, for laboratory technicians in KKM Hospitals, low decision authority was the significant predictor of depression.

A study of job strain and dissatisfaction among lecturers in the School of Medical Sciences Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Job stress has now become one of the most significant health and safety issues in the workplace and one of the least understood areas of organizational cost. A cross-sectional study to assess job strain and dissatisfaction in lecturers of the School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) was undertaken between August 2001 and May 2002. The original English version of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) version 1.7 (revised 1997) by Robert Karasek was self-administered to 73 (response rate 58.4%) lecturers in School of Medical Sciences USM. The prevalence of job strain (defined by low decision latitude and high psychological demands) in USM was 23.3%. The risk factors of job strain in the lecturers were psychological stressors (adjusted OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0, 1.4), created skill (adjusted OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2, 0.8) and working in clinical-based departments (adjusted OR 18.7, 95% CI 1.6, 22.7). The prevalence of job dissatisfaction was 42.6%. Associated factors of job dissatisfaction in USM lecturers were decision authority (p < 0.001) and psychological job demand (p < 0.001). We conclude that psychological stressors and created skill were non-protective and protective, respectively, against job strain in USM lecturers. Clinical-based lecturers experienced higher job strain compared to non-clinical-based lecturers. Psychological job demand was strongly associated with job dissatisfaction, and decision authority was protective against job dissatisfaction.