Work-related stress and associated factors among garment workers in Bole Lemi Industrial Park of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a multi-center institution-based cross-sectional study

(2022) 22:806 Birhan et al. BMC Psychiatry https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-04460-7 Open Access RESEARCH Work‑related stress and associated factors among garment workers in Bole Lemi Industrial Park of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a multi‑center institution‑based cross‑sectional study Tsegaye Adane Birhan*, Muche Ambissa, Tadesse Guadu Delele and Henok Dagne Abstract Background: Work-related stress (WRS) is a growing problem around the world that affects the health and wellbeing of employees. However, evidence of work-related stress in Ethiopia, particularly among garment industry employees, is scarce. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of work-related stress among garment workers in the Bole Lemi industrial park in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: A multi-center institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 01 to March 31, 2021. A total of 605 study participants were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. A pre-tested, interviewer-administered standardized questionnaire was used to collect data. The logistic regression model was employed to identify determinant factors for work-related stress, and statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05. Results: The magnitude of work-related stress in garment workers was 44.1% (95% CI: 40.0, 48.0). Being within the age group of 25 - 34 years (AOR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.90) and receiving induction training (AOR = 0.35, CI: 0.20, 0.62) were protective factors with stress. Whereas lack of family support (AOR = 2.72, CI: 1.60, 4.64), lack of job satisfaction (AOR = 4.26, CI: 2.77, 6.57), and khat chewing (AOR = 3.14, CI: 1.35, 7.32) were positively associated with work-related stress. Conclusion: Work-related stress is prevalent among garment workers in the study setting. Being between the ages of 25-34 years and receiving induction training were protective factors against stress, while a lack of family support, a lack of job satisfaction, and khat chewing practices were positively associated with work-related stress. Therefore, improving family support and job satisfaction, providing induction training during employment, and providing psychological support for substance users to bring about changes are mandatory in Bole Lemi Industrial Park, Ethiopia. Keywords: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Garment workers, Work-related stress *Correspondence: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia Introduction Work-related stress (WRS) is a pattern of physiological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions to some extremely demanding aspects of work content, work organization, and work environment [1]. Over the past two decades, the experience of stress at work has had undesirable effects, both on the health and safety of © The Author(s) 2022. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativeco mmons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data. Birhan et al. BMC Psychiatry (2022) 22:806 workers and the health and effectiveness of their organizations [2]. People feel stressed when they believe there is a disparity between the expectations placed on them and their ability to meet those needs [3]. Common factors in WRS include lack of control over work, unsuitable demands being made of workers, lack of support from colleagues and management [3, 4], conflict with co-workers or bosses, constant change, and threats to job security, such as potential redundancy [5, 6]. In recent decades, globalization, global competitive processes, and technological progress have transformed the world of work, introducing new forms of work organization, working relations, and employment patterns and contributing to the increment of WRS and its related illnesses [2]. Stress at work has an impact at the individual level, with health effects ranging from coronary heart disease to depression, as well as at the organizational level, reflected in increased absenteeism, reduced productivity, and staff turnover [4]. In many least-developed and developing countries, the garment sector has been a launching pad for progress [7]. There are presently 60-70 million garment employees worldwide, with 75% of them being women. The great majority of these employees labor in informal jobs that are not recognized, regulated, or otherwise safeguarded by the law [8]. The garment industry is among the priority sectors identified under the second growth and transformation plan of Ethiopia [9, 10]. The creation of decent job opportunities, increased exports, ensuring social and environmental sustainability, the creation of industrial linkages, and the transfer of skills and technology are the key prioritized objectives of industrial parks in Ethiopia [9]. Garment industry employers are susceptible to various stress conditions, including excessive overtime, low wages, poor access to social security provisions, verbal and sexual harassment, and the occurrence of forced labor [7]. Furthermore, the uncertain economic crisis places increasing pressure on both employers and workers to remain competitive. Numerous of these transitions present chances for improvement. However, when mismanaged, these shifts increase the risk of psychological disorders and have detrimental effects on health and safety [1, 3]. Challenges and stress in the workplace are usually confusing. While a challenge at work may benefit an individual, work stress is a health concern that might have an impact on occupational safety and health. Findings suggest that stressful working environments and situations may have an impact on employees’ physical and mental well-being [2]. In Ethiopia, studies on work-related stress are scarce and have almost focused Page 2 of 9 on health sectors. Some studies done among healthcare workers revealed that the prevalence of workplace stress ranges from 46.9 to 68.2% [11–13]. According to a few studies conducted in Ethiopia to measure the (...truncated)