Estimation of Occupational Stress Index Score Among King Abdulaziz University Students

Abstract

Stress is our body’s way of responding to any kind of demand or threat. It can start with simply too much pressure. To estimate the occupational stress index (OSI) score among King Abdul Aziz University international students a simple questionnaire study, with 100% response rate, was conducted. KAU has largest number of students in the Kingdom. The study of stress, OSI score and stressors are accepted important tools for career and personality development and highlighting of students’ problems. The English version of OSI questioner (CHS M278/EHS M270: Work and Health; Winter 2004) used and descriptive research approach selected to calculate OSI score. A t-test performed between OSI score for each individual section and their relevant percentages. P values equal or less than 0.05 considered as significant. For data analysis SPSS and Microsoft Excel version 2013 was used. Total OSI score estimated was 38.3. Main contributing variables are uneasy lab work (32.6%) and decision-making at work (16.3%). The others are absence of rest areas, research grants unavailability. Less work pressure, low working experience, summer holidays, regular monthly stipend, fewer responsibilities, relaxing exams schedule, less number of days spent weakly are all reason for low OSI score. Physical working conditions contribute little but accident or injury shows no contribution for OSI score. Low OSI score proved KAU international students are working in relaxing environment and feel little stress. Such studies are needed to be done on regular basis to evaluate the Kingdom’s largest university student’s problems and challenges they face. Introduction Stress is a process in which our work and environment stimuli places undue strain on humans, which directly or indirectly results in psychological and physiological changes that increase risk of diseases (Belkić, et al., 1994). Occupational stress has been regarded as one of the major health hazard of the modern work environment. It accounts family issues, physical harm and substance abuse (Belkić, et al., 1992; Emdad, et al., 2009). Stress and stressful working conditions are directly related with more accidents during work, less productivity, off days from work and less efficiency. According to a study by Moller et al., (2005) in aetiology of heart diseases, physiological stress plays an important role. For measuring work stress, occupational stress index (OSI) is an acceptable scale in modern psychological researches. It is widely and effectively used by psychologists and social scientists (Israel, et al., 1996). Work stresses arises are dominant feature of present life having prominent long lasting effects on employees’ behaviour, attitude and work productivity. Due to this, systematic studies demand of stress and working environment stressors have risen dramatically. A considerable portion of organization research involves the study of stress relating to job Karasek and Theorell, (2012). For personality development, personal counselling occupational stress assessment is 56 Ijaz Ahmad et al., also very important. The measurement of occupational stress can be done using different methods, but all methods cannot be used for every work environment and every demographics. The literature survey shows that there is dearth of reliable and valid stress measuring instruments (Latif and Sultana, 2009). For job relating stress measurement a number of different scales have developed but these are case specific and cannot be used generally for every type of sample. Socio economic and demographic variables have much more consideration in such social and psychological studies (Latif and Sultana, 2009; Möller, et al., 2005). KAU has largest number of students in the Kingdom. The study of stress, OSI score and stressors is accepted important tool for carrier counselling, personality development and highlighting student’s problems. To increase students productivity and efficiency such studies are keen importance to pin point their problems and solving them. So they can continue and focus upon just studies and research. The study objective was to estimate Occupational Stress Index score among King Abdulaziz University students. Research Methodology Total 50 Standard English version questioner (CHS M278/EHS M270: Work and Health; Winter 2004) were distributed among Ph.D. and master international students studying in King Abdulaziz University. All the questionnaire were administered personally to all students by visiting their rooms in hostel and in their class rooms. They were given the time of 3 days to complete it conveniently and with ease. The filled questionnaire then were collected back after 3 days. The response score was 100%. The students mainly have academic and research related activities, they are studying in different semesters. Some are working on research while others are just studying course work. There are local as well as international students from different countries. Mean score was calculated for all the questions and OSI percentage to each section of the OSI questioner was calculated. A t-test performed between OSI score for each individual section and their relevant percentages. P values equal or less than 0.05 was considered as significant. The data were processed and tabulated, and figures were produced in Microsoft Excel version 2013. Questioner The English version of OSI questioner (CHS M278/EHS M270: Work and Health; Winter 2004) used developed by The Centre for Social Epidemiology Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles County, California. The questioner has 12 sections and total 65 questions mentioned in table 1.