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Background Although unemployment and high levels of perceived stress have been associated in cross-sectional studies, the direction of causation is unknown. We prospectively examined if high levels of perceived everyday life stress increased the risk of subsequent unemployment and further if differences existed between socioeconomic status-groups. Methods We included 9335 18–64-year-old employed respondents of a health survey (North Denmark Health Profile 2010) in which Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale was used to assess the level of perceived stress. Data were linked individually to national administrative registers. Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the association between perceived stress quintiles and risk of unemployment during 98 weeks of follow-up. Analyses were further performed in subgroups defined by education and income. Results In total, 224 people (10.4%) of the high stress group became unemployed during follow-up, which was higher than the lower stress groups. After adjusting for gender, age, education and income, the risk of unemployment was 1.64 (95% CI: 1.28;2.11) in the high stress group compared to the low stress group. After adjusting for gender and age, a similar trend was observed across different education levels and among the lower income groups, but no higher risk of unemployment due to perceived stress was found among the higher income groups. However, there was no statistically significant interaction between perceived stress and income level ( p  = 0.841) or perceived stress and education level ( p  = 0.587). Conclusion Perceived everyday life stress nearly doubled the risk of subsequent unemployment in a working population. No statistically significant interactions between SES and perceived stress were found. This indicates that stress prevention among the working population should not solely focus on stress in the workplace but also include stress from everyday life.

To identify the prevalence of various menstrual problems in young females studying health sciences and to identify their association with academic stress. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, conducted in the health colleges of Immam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia between February 2015 and February 2016. Seven hundred and thirty-eight female students aged 18-25 years anonymously completed menstrual problem identification and perceived stress scale questionnaire. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 16.0.  Results: Ninety-one percent of the students were suffering from some kind of menstrual problem. The different menstrual problems reported, and their incidences included irregular menstruation (27%), abnormal vaginal bleeding (9.3%), amenorrhea (9.2%),  menorrhagia (3.4%), dysmenorrhea (89.7%), and premenstrual symptoms (46.7%). High perceived stress (HPS) was identified in 39% of the students. A significant positive correlation was found between HPS and menstrual problems. Students with HPS had 4 times, 2 times, and 2.8 times increased odds ratio for experiencing amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, and premenstrual syndrome (p less than 0.05).  Conclusion: The most prevalent menstrual problems (dysmenorrhea and premenstrual symptoms) in the target population were strongly associated with stress. Therefore, it is recommended that health science students should be provided with early psychological and gynecological counselling to prevent future complications.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of people worldwide. An increase in perceived stress can lead to unhealthy behaviors such as increased food consumption. The aim of this study was to find the level of perceived stress and its relationship with increased food consumption during the “third wave” of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. This was a cross-sectional study that employed anonline self-reported frequency of consumption questionnaire and the Perceived Stress Scale-10. A total of 637 subjects participated and 83.6% of respondents had moderate or high stress—more prevalent in the female and young respondents. Moreover, 36.1% of respondents reported that they had increased the frequency of consumption of some foods, mainly nuts, snacks, and jellybeans, along with coffee, tea, cocoa, and soft drinks. Eating between meals was more pronounced in those with high stress (65.1%) than in those with moderate stress (40.4%) and low stress (20.2%). Furthermore, the respondents with high stress reported greater weight gain. Thus, the results show that the level of perceived stress during the ‘third wave’ of this pandemic increased food consumption.

Stress significantly impacts adolescents’ health. Therefore, its measurement is of critical importance. This study aims to assess the psychometric properties of a Greek adolescent version of PSS-10 among middle adolescents. This study’s questionnaire, which was completed by 169 adolescents aged 15–18, included a Greek linguistic, cultural, and age-appropriate version of the PSS-10 and the validated Greek ASQ version. Confirmatory factor and exploratory factor analyses were conducted. Convergent validity was tested through Pearson’s r intercorrelations among PSS-10 scales and ASQ and PSS-10 scales. Discriminant construct validity was determined by the association between PSS-10 scales and gender, grade, diploma grade, and following daily routines using Student’s t-tests or analysis of variance (ANOVA). Confirmatory factor analysis was not satisfactory. Exploratory factor analysis revealed two factors: perceived coping and perceived control, which explained 25.8% and 23.8% of the variance, respectively. Internal consistency reliability was satisfactory (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.70). Positive and significant correlations were found between ASQ and PSS-10 scores, indicating satisfactory convergent validity. Concerning discriminant validity, students who followed daily routines appeared to have less perceived stress. The Greek version of the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) for adolescents is a valid instrument and can be used by professionals to rapidly screen perceived stress in adolescent populations.

Background/Objectives: Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in distress among children, as well as in the long-term effects of childhood stress. Parents, particularly mothers, are the most important social partners for preschool-aged children and may help protect them from stress. The current study aims to investigate how parental practices impact children’s perceived stress in relation to their mothers’ stress. Methods: The sample comprised 346 mothers of preschoolers aged 20 to 48 years (M = 34.39, SD = 6.16). Participants completed an online survey that included the Perceived Stress Scale for Parents of Preschoolers, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire—Preschool Revision, and questions regarding their socio-demographic characteristics. Results: Punitive parenting contributed positively, while positive parenting contributed negatively to children’s distress. When mothers’ perceived stress was taken into account, positive parenting lost its significance. Punitive parenting and maternal perceived stress were the only positive predictors of child distress. Conclusions: Stress in mothers may lead to a decrease in their involvement in the upbringing and parenting of preschoolers, potentially contributing to increased stress levels in children. Intervention programs aimed at reducing preschoolers’ stress should incorporate classes for parents that also could be focused on stress regulation for parents and training in positive parenting practices.

Recently, online education has been gaining prominence in university life. Our survey aimed to examine sleep quality and perceived stress levels among students at the University of Pécs Faculty of Health Sciences. A cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive survey was conducted between February and March 2023. The online survey included the Hungarian versions of the internationally validated Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests (p < 0.05). We analyzed 304 responses, and females dominated (n = 270; 88.8%). Students in a relationship had significantly higher AIS scores (t = −2.470; p = 0.014). Medium average (2.50–3.49) students and those who rarely/never exercise showed significantly higher AIS and PSS (p ≤ 0.05). Students on the phone/watching a series during online education, daily laptop/TV use for more than 2 h, and pre-sleep use of smart devices for more than 60 min also negatively affected AIS and PSS scores (p ≤ 0.05). Nursing, physiotherapy, and radiography students were the most affected regarding insomnia and perceived stress (p ≤ 0.05). Our survey shows that excessive smart device use and lack of exercise are associated with higher stress levels and poorer sleep quality.

Background and Objectives: As medical service employees, physiotherapists are prone to suffer from job-related stress and are at great risk of experiencing occupational burnout. Therefore, the aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the level of generalized stress, occupational burnout syndrome and occupational stress in a group of professionally active physiotherapists and to answer the question: which psychosocial and physical factors (work characteristics) present at the given workplace were perceived as the most stress-inducing in the study group and in various subgroups? Materials and Methods: This study included 70 physiotherapists, mean age 40.1 ± 11.6, employed in sanatoria and outpatient clinics. An authorial survey, the Subjective Assessment Work Questionnaire, the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Inventory to Measure Coping Strategies with Stress Mini-COPE were used. Results: The study group of physiotherapists was characterized by a moderate level of stress, a high level of occupational stress and a moderate level of occupational burnout. The most common stressors reported by the participants included the lack of rewards at work, the sense of uncertainty resulting from workplace organization, the sense of threat, social interaction, and the lack of control. Conclusions: The knowledge of the level of occupational stress among health care professionals (including physiotherapists) and, most importantly, the assessment of stress-inducing psychosocial and physical factors present at the given workplace may prove useful while designing a prevention and health protection strategy.

Objective: Stress is known to be a significant risk factor for coronary atherosclerosis and adverse cardiovascular events; however, the stress-related coronary atherosclerotic burden has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the SYNTAX scores in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: A total of 440 patients with STEMI were prospectively enrolled and divided into 2 groups according to the PSS score with a ROC curve analysis cut-off value of 17.5. In all, 361 patients with a low PSS score were categorized as Group 1 and 79 patients with a high PSS score were categorized as Group 2. Results: The SYNTAX score [Group 1, 16.0 (10.0–22.5); Group 2, 22.5 (15.0–25.5); p<0.001] and the SYNTAX score II were significantly higher in Group 2 [Group 1, 24.8 (19.0–32.6); Group 2, 30.9 (22.3–38.9); p<0.001]. Spearman analysis demonstrated that the PSS score was associated with the SYNTAX score (r=0.153; p=0.001) and the SYNTAX score II (r=0.216; p<0.001). Additionally, the PSS (odds ratio: 2.434, confidence interval: 1.446-4.096; p=0.001) was determined to be an independent predictor of a moderate-to-high SYNTAX score. The PSS score of patients with in-hospital mortality was also higher than those who survived [15 (10–20); 9 (4–16), respectively; p=0.007]. Conclusion: Stress appears to accelerate the coronary atherosclerotic process and the associated burden. An increased stress level was found to be an independent predictor of a high SYNTAX score.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of working hours on anxiety symptoms in highly educated helping professionals, especially through sleep duration, perceived stress and sleep quality. We analysed the results of 172 helping professionals (dentists, physicians, and psychotherapists, 57 % women, average age 25–63 years) who had participated in a larger study examining the effects of working conditions and constitutional factors on the onset of hand eczema. The participants answered a battery of questionnaires, including Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale, Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, and a set of standard questions on sociodemographic characteristics, working hours, sleep, and job characteristics. They also underwent clinical examination of skin on hands and wrists. Participants reported working between 19 and 90 h a week, with 25.1 % working more than 50 h a week. Several path analysis models used in the study showed that working hours predicted anxiety only indirectly. The final model “working hours → sleep duration on workdays → perceived stress → anxiety symptoms” showed excellent fit [χ (14)=10.345; P>0.05; CFI=1.000; RMSEA 90 % CI (0.000, 0.054); P>0.05; SRMR=0.028]. Our results indicate that long working hours are associated with shorter sleep duration, which, in turn, is associated with higher levels of perceived stress and subsequently higher levels of anxiety. Long working hours in highly educated helping professionals may therefore put at risk their own health and safety and that of the recipients of their services.

Hypertension is a significant public health issue considered as the world's biggest killer among the working-age group. Health workers are one of the working groups who are facing several factors in their lives that could induce hypertension among them. Nevertheless, there is a lack of information about hypertension among Nepalese health workers. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with hypertension among health workers of central hospitals in Nepal. A total of 422 health workers aged ≥30 years from seven central hospitals of Nepal were selected using a proportionate stratified systematic random sampling method. Information regarding characteristics (socio-demographic, clinical, behavioral, occupational, and perceived stress) of participants were obtained by face to face interviews using a questionnaire after getting informed written consent. Participant's blood pressure and body mass index were measured based on the World Health Organization STEP Surveillance Manual. Binary logistic regression model was used to identify the associated factors of hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension was 35.31% (95% CI: 30.70%-40.10%). After controlling potential confounding factors through multivariate analysis, seven factors (increasing age, low educational level, being married, low fruit & vegetable consumption, low physical activity, alcohol use, and increased perceived stress) were found as significant independent predictors of hypertension. In conclusion, hypertension is highly prevalent among Nepalese health workers. Effective behavioral change interventions and routine health screening programs focusing on hypertension should be implemented to control hypertension among this neglected group, Nepalese health workers. Keywords: Health Workers, Hypertension, Perceived stress, Physical activity, Prevalence, Nepal