Objective To study the correlation between self-esteem and occupational stress related factors among employees in a thermal power plant.
Methods A total of 875 workers were enrolled by cluster sampling method. Self-esteem, occupational stressors, strains, personalities, coping strategy and social support were measured using occupational stress instrument, job content questionnaire and effort-reward imbalance questionnaire.
Results The differences of self-esteem scores among different gender, age, educational level, marriage status, smoking and drinking, and length of service groups did not show statistical significance (P > 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that self-esteem score was positively related to promotion opportunity, job control, job stability, rewards, mental health, positive affectivity, job satisfaction, superior support and coworker support scores (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), and negatively to role ambiguity and conflict, job future ambiguity, physical demands, negative affectivity, depressive symptoms, daily life stress and work locus of control (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). Variance analysis found that there were statistical differences between the workers with high, medium and low self-esteem scores of promotion opportunity, job control, job stability, rewards, mental health, positive affectivity, job satisfaction and buffering factors, role ambiguity and conflict, job future ambiguity, job demands and depressive symptoms scores (P < 0.001 or P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that high self-esteem reduced the risk of mental ill-health, job dissatisfaction and daily life stress (OR=0.162-0.340).
Conclusion Self-esteem is associated with perceived occupational stressors, buffering factors and strains. Increment of self-esteem could decrease occupational stress.
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