Work-Associated Lifestyle and Stress among Staff of Commercial Banks in Accra, Ghana

Abstract

Introduction: Stress has been associated with the development of non-communicable diseases. Reduction of work-related stress is therefore a major occupational health intervention. Anecdotally, staff of commercial banks in Ghana are considered to be among workers most prone to work-related stress. Very little is however known about how work-associated lifestyle is related to stress at early age and hence vulnerability to non-communicable disease. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that used a self-administered questionnaire. Staff of commercial banks located in the Central Business District and along the Spintex Road in Accra completed the questionnaire that included questions on sociodemographic background, eating habit and work-home schedule. Workers also completed the PRO MIND stress assessment questionnaire. Analytical statistical techniques were used to explore the association between sociodemographic background, work-related lifestyle and level of stress All analysis were performed using Stata version 14. Results: Three hundred and sixty-nine (females=52%) bank workers below 30years were studied (average age of 27years, S.D=2.3). About half (51%) of bank staff left home for work earlier than 6 am, with 6% leaving before 5 am. About a third (33%) left the office after 7 pm while 29% took their last meal after 7 pm. About 13% did so after 8 pm. The prevalence of normal stress among staff was 80% while moderate stress is 20%. None of the explored socio-demographic characteristics of staff was associated with the level of stress experienced by staff. Staff who took their last meal after 8 pm were however three times more likely (OR=3.10, 95% CI: 1.40 - 6.88, p < 0.017) to be stressed. Conclusion: There is a high level of stress among the surveyed bank staff and mitigation interventions are needed to reduce the risk of development of non-communicable diseases. There is possibly a relationship between the eating habits of bank staff and the level of stress they experience. Longitudinal studies are needed to overcome possible reverse causality, and to confirm the association.