Job stress and dissatisfaction in association with non-fatal injuries on the job in a cross-sectional sample of petrochemical workers

This cross-sectional study analysed the frequency and severity of work stre ssors and job satisfaction at workplaces in relation to work-related non-fa tal injuries amongst a sample of petrochemical workers in Taiwan. The study participants consisted of 568 cases injured on the job between 1991 and 19 97, and 954 injury-free controls matched to cases on frequencies of age, se x and work site. After adjusting for potential confounders, we found that c ases were more likely than controls to report stressors with a higher frequ ency [odds ratio (OR) = 1.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.9-2.0] and a more severe reaction (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 0.9-1.8). The dose-response analys es further indicated that the OR of injury was monotonically associated wit h stress reaction only (P for test for trend of ORs = 0.02). Job satisfacti on, though, was unrelated to non-fatal injury. Although the cross-sectional nature of our study precludes a causal inference between stress reaction t o stressors and risk of developing non-fatal injuries, our results tend to suggest that the severity of stress reaction is more associated with occupa tional non-fatal injury than is the frequency of stress or job dissatisfact ion.