• L Artazcoz Lazcano, J L Cruz i Cubells, S Moncada i Lluís, and A Sánchez Miguel.
• Centre de Salut Laboral, Institut Municipal de la Salut, Ajuntament de Barcelona.
• Gac Sanit. 1996 Nov 1;10(57):282-92.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to assess the contribution of job strain, according to the Karasek's demand-control model, on the job satisfaction and stress-related psychological symptoms in nurses and nurse aids of caring units of a public hospital of Barcelona, independently of other aspects of both the work and the outside of work environment.MethodsA cross-sectional study was designed and data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire that was answered by 273 people of caring units of a public hospital of Barcelona (response rate 81%). Job strain that classifies workers into four groups, low strain, high strain, active jobs, and passive jobs, was measured through the items of the "Job Content" questionnaire about demands and control adapted for this study. Job satisfaction and two types of psychological symptoms, anxious and somatic symptoms were analyzed first at the bivariate level and then by adjusting logistic regression models that included both work and nonwork variables.ResultsThe three outcomes were significantly associated with job strain, being the low strain situation the most positive one and the high strain the most negative one. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) of the high strain jobs versus the low strain jobs were 0.20 (CI 95% = 0.05-0.45) for job satisfaction, 3.45 (CI 95% = 1.63-7.33) for anxious symptoms and 3.72 (CI 95% = 1.65-8.38) for the psychosomatic symptoms. Passive and active jobs fell in between these extremes. Other variables both from the work environment and from the outside of work environment were associated with these outcomes.ConclusionThis study shows the importance of job strain on the job satisfaction and stress-related psychological symptoms of this group of workers, even after adjusting by other variables of the work and of the outside of work environment. This finding underscores the importance of considering, jointly with the classical work hazards, those related with the psychosocial work environment in implementing strategies for improving health and welfare among nurses.

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