PREVALENCE AND DETERMINANTS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY AMONG FEMALE EMPLOYEES OF HAWASSA INDUSTRIAL PARK, SIDAMA REGION, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Introduction: Work-related stress is the reaction people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are mismatched to their knowledge and abilities that challenges their ability to cope(4).. Work-related anxiety is a pattern of physiological, emotional, cognitive and behavioral reactions to some extremely taxing aspects of work content, work organization and work environment. Work-related stress and anxiety are an alarmingly growing global public health problem causing serious social and economic consequences. There is limited evidence on work-related stress and anxiety among female especially in developing countries like Ethiopia, particularly in manufacturing industries in Sidama Region, Ethiopia. Objectives: To assess the prevalence and determinantsof stress and anxiety among Hawassa industrial park female employees in Sidama Region State, Ethiopia, 2021. Methods: Institution based cross-sectional study design was conducted on 417 randomly selected female employees and selected companies from Hawassa Industrial park. Data was collected by using structured interviewer-administered questionnaires. Depression, Anxiety and Stress scale 21 items were used to assess stress and anxiety. The collected data was coded and entered using EpiData version 3.1 and the data was cleaning and analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26. Monovariate, Bivariate and Multivariate analysis was done. Result: The prevalence of work-related stress was 59.3% [95% CI: (54.7, 63.9)] and work related anxiety was 38.9% [95% CI: (34.3, 43.4)]. On multivariable logistic regression younger age [AOR=2.53, 95% CI: (1.22, 5.24)], current alcohol drinking [AOR=2.32, 95% CI: (1.13, 4.78)] and fear of losing a job [AOR=2.51, 95% CI: (1.49, 4.23)] were significantly associated with stress. Likewise, age ≤ 24 [AOR=4.21, 95% CI: (1.68, 10.98)], age 25-29 [AOR=2.86, 95% CI: (1.03, 7.92)], single marital status [AOR=2.54, 95% CI: (1.38, 4.68)] and fear of losing job [AOR=2.63, 95% CI: (1.51, 4.58)] were significantly associated with anxiety. Conclusion and Recommendation: The prevalence of work-related stress and anxiety are high in the study area. Younger age, current alcohol drinking, fear of losing a job were predictors of xii work-related stress. Younger age, marital status, fear of losing a job were predictors of anxiety due to this I recommended Preventive programs and strategies to reduce work-related stress and anxiety focusing females’ workers in textile industry