Chronic stress and coping mechanisms among nurses in Lango sub-region, northern Uganda

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to assess chronic stress and coping mechanisms among nurses in Lango sub-region, northern Uganda, conducted between May and June 2022. Design: Institutional-based cross-sectional design conducted between May and June 2022. Methods: The study included 498 participants recruited from six health facilities. A 12-Item Short Form Survey tool was used to collect data on chronic stress, while a researcher-developed questionnaire was used to collect data on coping strategies. Descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression and multiple regression were conducted for data analysis. A p-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of 498 participants, 153 (30.7%) were aged between 31 and 40 years, 341 (68.5%) were female, 288 (57.8%) were married, and 266 (53.4%) had less than Diploma. Of the 498 participants, 351 (70.5%) experienced chronic stress. The protective factors against chronic stress were being married (AOR: 0.132; 95% CI: 0.043–0.408; p < 0.001), optimizing shift length (AOR: 0.056; 95% CI: 0.027–0.115; p < 0.001), religiosity/Spirituality (AOR: 2.750; 95% CI: 1.376–5.497; p = 0.004), and regular exercise and breaks (AOR: 0.405; 95% CI: 0.223–0.737; p = 0.003).