Association of work-related stress, shift work and hypertension among nurses in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: Nurses play a crucial role in healthcare delivery globally. Most nurses are extensively engaged in extended work shifts in the clinical environment which may have a significant impact on their health by causing interference in the relationship between the body's internal clock and the environment. This may result in cardiovascular and emotional complications to nurses. Undocumented evidence suggests that most nurses work for longer hours with few breaks and often little time for recovery between shifts. Little is, however, known about the effects of work related stress and shift work on hypertension among nurses in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH). General Aim: To assess the effects of long working hours and shift system on hypertension among nurses in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of the effects of long working hours and shift systems on hypertension among nurses in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Socio-demographic factors such as age, marital status, education, income, family history of hypertension, sex, etc. of study participants were analyzed using STATA Version 15 and presented as Mean and Standard deviation (SD) and categorical data as percentages. Chi-square and multiple logistic regression analyses were used in measuring the association and relationship between variables. The confidence interval of 95% and odds ratio were calculated. Significance was set at α=0.05. Results: A total of 294 nurses participated in this study. Females were 233 (72.8%) and males were 87 (27.2%). The overall mean age for the nurses was 32.83 years with a standard deviation of 6.72 years. More than half run shift at work (n=265, 82.8%). The nurses work for an average of 39.3 hours of shift work per week. All the nurses knew hypertension. Risk factors associated with hypertension in this study were obesity, family history of hypertension, excessive intake of salt and alcohol. The prevalence of hypertension among nurses who are engaged in shift work and long working hours in this study was 55%. Work-related stress and shift work were found to be significantly associated with hypertension (p = 0.021; p = 0.001). The long working hours and shift system among nurses at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital drains the energy level of nurses on each day of work and makes them dread waking up to go to work. Conclusion: All the nurses knew hypertension. Risk factors associated with hypertension were obesity, family history of hypertension, excessive intake of salt and alcohol. Shift work and work-related stress were also found to be risk factors associated with hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension among nurses who are engaged in shift work and long working hours in this study was 55%.