impact of work stress among industrial workers

ABSTRACT

The present study was conducted to elucidate the impact of the Stressful working conditions on the prevalence of health disorders and injuries among industrial workers. This study included% exposed workers working in three chemical manufacturing industries in Alexandria and divided into two groups stressful group [n=64] and non-stressful group [n=140]; and control subjects [n=8l]. Each worker and control subject was interviewed for his personal, social, occupational, medical histories and history of in dustrial injuries as well as smoking habit. The NIOSH conflict/ stress questionnaire with some modification was used to assess the presence of the stressful working conditions for each subject. worker was further subjected for measurement of height, weight, blood pressure and pulse rate. The study revealed increase in the prevalence of significant difference of hypertensive difference of hypertensive diseases gastrointestinal disorders, chest conditions, eye diseases, derma tological and urinary tract conditions and industrial injuries of upper and lower limbs specially burns among stressfully exposed workers when compared to either non-stressfully exposed workers or control subjects. These findings might be attributed to the significantly. higher difference in shift work and to the presence of different kinds of environmental stressors. It has been concluded that work stress seems to be a paramount factor in the increase prevalence of health disorders and injuries among industrial workers