Psychological and Physical Stress Response and Incidence of Irregular Menstruation in Female University Employees: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to assess the clinical relevance of three-dimensional occupational stress (job stressor score [A score], psychological and physical stress response score [B score], and social support for workers score [C score]) of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) in the national stress check program in Japan to irregular menstruation. Methods: The present retrospective cohort study included 2,078 female employees aged 19–45 years who had both annual health checkups and the BJSQ between April 2019 and March 2022 in a national university in Japan. The outcome was self-reported irregular menstruation measured at annual health checkups until March 2023. A dose-dependent association between BJSQ scores and incidence of irregular menstruation was examined using Cox proportional hazards models to calculate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of four quantile (0–49% [Q0–49], 50–74% [Q50–74], 75–89% [Q75–89], and 90–100% [Q90–100]) of the BJSQ scores. Results: During 2.0 years of the median observational period, 257 (12.4%) women reported irregular menstruation. B score, not A or C scores, was identified as a significant predictor of irregular menstruation (adjusted HR of A, B, and C scores per 1 standard deviation: 1.06 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.89–1.27], 1.35 [95% CI, 1.15–1.57], and 0.93 [95% CI, 0.80–1.08], respectively). Women with higher B score had a significantly higher risk of irregular menstruation in a dose-dependent manner (adjusted HR of Q0–49, Q50–74, Q75–89, and Q90–100: 1.00 [reference], 1.38 [95% CI, 1.00–1.90], 1.48 [95% CI, 1.00–2.18], and 2.18 [95% CI, 1.38–3.43], respectively). Conclusion: Psychological and physical stress response predicted irregular menstruation.