Abstract

Nowadays, stress is one of the most important factors that affect workers' chronic diseases. In the case of China, medical demands increased under the national health service system after the market economy was introduced. These socioeconomic changes have affected the hospital workers' stress in China. We surveyed 428 hospital workers in Jilin Province in China from March 18 to March 29, 1996. The results were as follows ; 1. There were more women(67.8%) than men(31.1%) and those who graduated from technical school were 54.2%. The workers whose monthly income ranged from 400 to 499 Yuen were 37.9% by Chinese currency. For occupational characteristics, there were 36.4% doctors and 30.1% were nurses among the hospital workers. 29.9% had worked for 10~20 years in the hospital and 80.1% said their workload was moderate. 25.9% were satisfied with their jobs and 33.2% had good relationships with superiors and 37.4% had good relationships with co-workers. 2. For health habits, 22.7% were current smokers and 51.2% were scarcely drank. among this subjects. Those who ate breakfast almost everyday were 87.1% and the workers who ate between meals almost everyday were 50.2%. 83.8% slept for 7~8 hours at night. Only 14.0% of the workers exercised regularly were only 14.0% and 18.5% were obese. 3. Hospital workers' stress symptom was significantly related to age and monthly income. The workers who were 19 years old or less or 40 years old or more and had higher monthly income showed higher stress symptoms than those who were between 20-39 and had lower monthly income. Higher stress symptom was also significantly related to the heavy workload, the dissatisfaction with their job an4 the bad relationship with their superiors and co-workers. 4. Higher stress symptoms were significantly related to drinking and hours of sleep among the seven health habits. The more frequently the workers' drank, the higher the stress symptoms were and the workers who slept for 7~8 hours at night had lower stress symptoms than those who slept for 6 hours or less or 9 hours or more. 5. According to the results of stepwise multiple regression analysis, the factors affecting hospital workers' stress symptoms were monthly income in personal characteristics (R2=0.0227), job satisfaction and workload (R2=0.0742) in occupational characteristics, and drinking and hours of sleep (R2=0.0446) among the seven health habits. Consequently, the most significant factors that had affected hospital workers' stress symptom in China, were job satisfaction and drinking according to the premises of the questionnaire.

• Keywords: Stress symptom;Health habits;Hospital workers;China