State of stress and type of personality among working and non working healthy women in Alexandria

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out at the Edfina Food Factory; where 50 female. workers were selected randomly out of the 500 females employed by the company. A control group 50 non working women [house wives] were chosen; a neighbour house hold, to be matched for the socio-economic status and some environmental condition. The aim of this work is to examine the effect of employment on the health of women by inducing stress experimentally and study the relationship between type of personality and stress. The study reveals the following - The mean age of the working women was significantly less than the house hold. - The percentage of illiterate women among the working group were higher than the house hold group and the differences were statistically significant. - The mean score value of the star test for the working women was significantly higher than the house hold. - The working women had a more integrated personality than the house hold where they were more neurotic or extrovert. - Increased duration of work in the working women was associated with increased score on the star test. - In the working group, the mean value of the pulse rate during the star test was significantly higher than before the test in comparison to the house hold where no significant changes were found. - In the working group there was significant rise of the systolic and diastolic blood pressure during the test compared with that before. While for the house hold no significant difference was observed