Psychosocial factors at work and workers' health in Hong Kong : an explanatory study

Oi Ling SIU, Ian DONALD

Research output: Journal PublicationsJournal Article (refereed)peer-review

Abstract

This paper provides a health profile of Hong Kong workers and investigates the relationship between psychosocial factors at work and workers' health. The data were collected from interviews with 332 (142 male, 190 female) workers from eight occupational groups. Fifty per cent of the workers experienced stress at work. The most common health complaints were muscle ache, nervousness, headache, and gastro-intestinal problems. There was a significant relationship between workers' perceived work stress and psychosocial factors at work, workers' perceived stress was also related to health complaints and job satisfaction. A number of psychosocial factors at work were found to be related to health complaints and job satisfaction; among them, perceived environmental conditions and relationship to superiors were common predictors of health complaints and job satisfaction. In general, workers who were dissatisfied with the physical conditions, had a stronger awareness of the harmful effects of the work environment, worked shift and overtime, had bad relationships with coworkers and superiors perceived a higher level of work stress and exhibited more health complaints. Sex differences over the psychosocial factors on workers' health are also studied. 本文研究香港工人的一般健康狀況,乃工作上的社會心、理因素與 僱員健康狀況關係。硏究對象為332位從事於八個不同行業之員工。 調査結果發現有一半的員工感到工作上有壓力,並出現一些普遍的癥 狀如肌肉酸痛,神經緊張,頭痛及腸胃病等。從統計數字上,顯示工 作的多項社會心理因素(尤以對工作環境之不滿,與上司關係的好 壞),與員工所感受到的工作壓力,工作滿足感,及身體毛病有顯注 的關係。再者,以上結果顯示有男女差異,一些要從事輪班制的女員 工,及一些需要加班並沒有收取工資的男員工,所感受到的工作壓力 及身體毛病較多。
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)30-56
Number of pages27
JournalBulletin of the Hong Kong Psychological Society
VolumeJanuary and July 1995
Issue number34/35
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 1996

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