Occupational stress and associated factors among college instructors in Eritrea: A cross-sectional study 2019

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Multiple reports have indicated that the prevalence of work-related stress is increasing among academics. This has been attributed to the expanding number of students, the need for efficiency in providing higher quality education, accountability to multiple stakeholders, internal and external factors, and problems in management and workplace communication systems. In spite of the growing realization of the importance of work-related stress, little is known about the subject in SubSaharan Africa. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of work-related stress and associated factors in colleges across Eritrea. METHODS This study was a cross-sectional study performed in 2019 in Eritrea. Sample size for this study was calculated using single population proportion formula and simple random sampling technique was used to acquire the study participants. A structured closed-ended questionnaire was subsequently used to collect sociodemographic and other occupation related data. The University and College Union model stress questionnaire was used to assess stress among the study participants. Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics version 23. RESULTS Based on the UCU model stress questionnaire, the overall prevalence of stress among college faculty was found to be 49.2%. When assessing the stress related factors, Pearson's correlation test showed participant's stress score was moderately correlated with demand (r=0.37), control (r=0.36) and relations (r=0.32) scores. However weak, the stress score had a statistically significant positive correlation with role, change, and the support domain scores. CONCLUSIONS Work-related stress among faculty members was prevalent in the study setting, as it was found to affect almost half of the study participants. The factors affecting stress can be categorized into three broader domains: uncertainty of career prospect, role confusion and lack of resources.