Short working hours and perceived stress: Findings from a population-based nationwide study

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the potential negative health effects of short working hours remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the association between short working hours and perceived stress in a population-based sample from China. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 4368 participants aged 18–65 years from the China Health and Nutrition Surveys (CHNS) 2015. Working hours were categorized into <35, 35–40, 41–54, and ≥55 h/week. Perceived stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale-14 (PSS-14). RESULTS: Of the 4368 participants, 817 (18.7 %) reported short working hours (<35 h/week) and 1817 (41.6 %) reported perceived stress. Short working hours were associated with higher perceived stress compared to standard working hours (35–40 h/week) (Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) = 1.25, 95 % confidential intervals (CI): 1.04–1.51). Stratified analysis showed that short working hours were significantly associated with more perceived stress in subjects aged 36–50 years (AOR = 1.43, 95 % CI: 1.16–1.70), while long working hours (≥55 h/week) were significantly related to less perceived stress among low-income subjects (AOR = 0.56, 95 % CI: 0.33–0.94). Reduced income partially mediated the effects of short working hours on perceived stress (indirect effects = −0.002, 95 % CI: −0.007∼-0.001). CONCLUSION: Reduced working hours may be associated with increased risk of perceived stress in China, particularly among people aged 36–50 years and those with low income. Reduced income may be a possible reason for the increased perceived stress caused by short working hours. Future longitudinal studies are needed to examine these relationships and to explore mechanisms.