Relationship between job stress and work-related quality of life among emergency medical technicians: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to determine the relationship between job stress and work-related quality of life (WRQoL) among emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in Lorestan province, Western Iran. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study. METHODS: Totally 430 EMTs who had been engaged in their respective units for more than 6 months from all emergency facilities in Lorestan province were selected using single stage cluster sampling method. Data were collected from April to July 2019 using two standard questionnaires: job stress (Health and Safety Executive (HSE)) and WRQoL. The OR with 95% CI was used to declare the statistical association (p≤0.05). RESULTS: All participants were exclusively males, with a mean age of 32±6.87 years. The overall average score of job stress using the HSE scale was 2.69±0.43; while the overall quality of working life score was 2.48±1.01. The type of working shift was found to have a significant impact on the HSE-average score (F(3,417)=5.26, p=0.01); and on the WRQoL-average score (F(3,417)=6.89, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Two-thirds of EMTs working in governmental hospitals had job stress and a low quality of work-related life. Additionally, work shift was statistically significant associated with EMTs’ job stress and WRQoL.