Occupational stress and musculoskeletal symptoms in Community Health Workers¹

Abstract

Introduction  Community health workers (CHWs) work under conditions of occupational risks and overload that can cause illness.

Objectives  To evaluate the presence of occupational stress and musculoskeletal symptoms in community health workers, and compare the levels of occupational stress, according to sociodemographic characteristics.

Method  Cross-sectional study, conducted in 2017, in a municipality in the interior of São Paulo state. The Work Stress Scale and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire were used.

Results  Forty-four CHWs participated, 70.5% were female, 47.7% were 40 years old or older, 79.5% had no other paid activity and 50.0% had three to 10 years of professional experience. Twenty-one (47.7%) professionals presented important levels of occupational stress (>2.5). The main stressors were: deficiency in disclosure of information about organizational decisions (3.3;±1.1); deficiency in training (3.4;±1.6); little appreciation (3.2;±1.4); few prospects for career growth (3.2;±1.6); discrimination/favoritism in the work environment (3.1;±1.5); lack of understanding about job responsibilities (3.0; ±1.5); type of control (2.9;±1.1); how tasks are distributed (2.8;±1.4); performing tasks that are beyond one's capacity (2.8;±1.2); lack of autonomy in performing the work (2.7;±1.3); receiving contradictory orders from the superior (2.7;±1.4); insufficient time to perform the work (2.7;±1.3). In the last year, 65.9% of CHWs reported musculoskeletal pain in the lower back, 61.4% in the neck, 47.7% in the shoulders, and 43.2% in the knees.

Conclusion  Occupational stress and musculoskeletal symptoms are problems present in the CHWs' work practice, showing that organizations need to increase labor resources to prevent psychosocial risks and enhance the quality of work of these professionals.

Keywords:  Primary Health Care; Community Health Workers; Occupational Health; Cumulative Trauma Disorders