Comparative inter-institutional study of stress among dentists

ABSTRACT

Dentistry is considered to be a stressful profession due to different factors caused by work, representing a threat to dentists' health. The objectives of this work were to identify and compare chronic stress in dentists among the different health institutions and the association of stress with risk factors. The study in question is observational, transversal and comparative; 256 dentists were included, distributed among five public health institutions in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, namely the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), the Ministry of Health (SS), the Integral Development of the Family (DIF), the Social Security Services Institute for the Workers (ISSSTE) and the University of Guadalajara (U. de G.) Data were obtained by means of the census technique. Stress was identified using the Stress Symptoms Inventory and the statistical analysis was performed using the Odds Ratio (O.R.) and the chi-square statistic. From the total population studied, 219 subjects presented high levels of chronic stress and 37, low levels. In the results of comparative analysis, significant differences were found between IMSS and U. de G. and likewise between IMSS and SS. However, in the analysis of association, only U. de G. was found to be associated with the high level of chronic stress.

RESUMEN

La odontologia es considerada una profesion estresante, debido a diferentes factores causados por el trabajo, y representa una amenaza para la salud de los dentistas. Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron identificar y comparar el estres cronico de dentistas entre las Instituciones de Salud y la asociacion de estres con factores de riesgo. Se trata de un estudio observacional, transversal y comparativo; fueron incluidos 256 odontologos, distribuidos en 5 instituciones de salud publica de la ciudad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Secretaria de Salud (SS), Desarrollo Integral para la Familia (DIF), Instituto de Seguridad Social y Salud de los Trabajadores del Estado (ISSSTE) y Universidad de Guadalajara (U. de G.). Los datos se obtuvieron mediante la tecnica de censo, durante el ano de 2006. La identificacion de estres se realizo con el Inventario de Sintomas de Estres, y el analisis estadistico se llevo a cabo con razon de momios y X2. Del total de la poblacion estudiada, 219 presentaron niveles altos de estres cronico y 37 niveles bajos. En los resultados del analisis comparativo se encontraron diferencias significativas entre el IMSS vs. U. de G. asi como IMSS vs. SS. Sin embargo, en el analisis de asociacion, solo la U. de G. presenta asociacion con el nivel alto de estres cronico.