Occupational stress among textile workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Context:
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), scientific studies on occupational health are scarce. The present study aims at estimating the level of occupational stress, as well as associated factors, in a textile company.
Methods:
We performed a cross-sectional survey among textile workers in DRC. Data (N= 192 subjects) were collected through a self-questionnaire validated for the assessment of stress (Karasek and Siegrist’s scale); supplemented by a medical examination. Frequencies and odds ratios (ORs) were estimated for descriptive analyses. Adjusted ORs were calculated through a logistic regression model to investigate associations between socio-demographic and organisational variable and stress.
Results:
Our study highlighted a high level of stress among individuals: 28% of them were suffering from stress, according to Karasek, and 22%, when applying Siegrist’s model. A 14%-isostrain was calculated when considering all workers. A statistically significant association was observed between stress and age, seniority and perceived no-adaptation to work, considering both approaches. Furthermore, when job strain was determined according to Karasek, it was related to the status of worker, the poor perception of organisation and alcohol consumption, while stress estimated by applying Siegrist’s model showed an association with education level and the occurrence of cardiac symptoms.
Conclusion:
The present study gives evidence of stress among individuals through both models. Several socio-professional factors are associated with stress, which determines populations at risk. The study revealed that both stress models offer complementary information, thus increasing the probability to model workers’ health more exactly and to make recommendations on prevention and management.