A national survey of psychosocial job stressors and their implications for health among working people in Taiwan

Objectives: The prevalence of job stress, distributions of major job stressors, and the associations of job stress with multiple self-reported health complaints were examined in a national survey conducted in 1994 in Taiwan. Methods: A total of 9,746 men and 5,599 women who were employed at the time of the survey and aged between 25 and 65-years were studied. Information on employment status, perceived level of job stress, major job stressors, and health complaints were obtained by a self-administered questionnaire. Results: Overall, 7.6% of men and 6.5% of women reported often or always feeling very stressed at work. Higher levels of perceived job stress were found among subjects who were younger, with higher education level, working in a larger firm, working for longer hours per week, and who were administrators or managers. Problems with individual job content were ranked as the most important job stressor in men across all employment categories and in most women. Other major job stressors included problems with monetary rewards and lack of career prospects. The patterns of major job stressors appear to vary by employment grade and by gender. After adjustment for age and education, employees who perceived higher levels of job stress had significantly increased risks of multiple health problems, including strained eyes, ringing ears, chronic cough with phlegm, chest tightness, stomach problems, headache, and musculoskeletal discomfort. Conclusions: These results suggest that psychosocial stress in the workplace has profound impacts on health. This study identified high-risk groups and major types of job stressors for further investigation.