Community Based Study for Stress and It's Related Factors

Oh, Gyung Jae; Lee, Jeong Mi; Kil, Sang Sun; Kwon, Keun Sang

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study evaluated the stress of community residents using the General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-60, as an instrument of stress measurement. METHODS: The study included 2100 residents, aged 20 and over, living in three areas, a large city, a medium sized city and a rural area, between June and September 2001. A questionnaire interviewing method was used to collect data. The data were analyzed using a t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: In this study, the degree of stress, as measured by the GHQ-60, was shown to be significantly higher in the following categories: females, people over 60 years old, people engaged in the primary industries and labor work, low incomes, the divorced and the bereaved, people who received no more than an elementary education, people who suffer from chronic diseases and non-exercisers. A factor analysis suggested that there were three factors of social dysfunction factors; psychosomatic symptom, and depression and anxiety. The social dysfunction factors was statistically significant for the groups described above. The factor of psychosomatic symptoms was statistically significant in the rural residents, and in the groups described above. The depression and anxiety factor was statistically significant in the large city residents, people aged between 20-29 years, students, unmarried persons, university graduates and those having suffered from chronic diseases. From the multiple linear regression analyses, chronic disease, exercise, gender and income, proved to be significant stress related factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that special attention should be given to the management of the chronic invalided, non-exercisers, females and small income earners, in order to maintain and promote the psychological health of residents in a community.