The impact of different shift work schedules on the levels of anxiety and stress in workers in a petrochemicals company

Abstract

This study evaluated anxiety and stress in workers under different shift work conditions. The sample comprised 239 workers, with an average age of 42.6, standard deviation = 5.7 years, divided into fixed daytime working (n=52) and different working shifts (n=187). Documentation: Free and informed consent form; ID's; State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; Lipp's Stress Symptom Inventory for Adults. We used the t-test for independent samples, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation and the two-sample Comparison of proportions Test. Results showed that shift workers had higher State-Trait Anxiety scores than fixed daytime workers (t=-4.994; p=0.0001; t=-2.816; p=0.005, respectively). Both samples exhibited stress, but there were no statistically significant differences between the groups (t=-1.052; p=0.294). Shift work schedules caused more situational and dispositional anxiety, but did not significantly increase stress levels when compared to fixed daytime working.