Is There a Relation between Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Occupational Stress among Nurses? A Case Study from Iran 2016

GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is the most common gastrointestinal disorders, which may be caused or aggravated by occupational stress. In this study we aimed to investigate the prevalence of GERD in nurses working in hospitals of a province in Iran and assessing its relationship with their occupational stress.
The study was a cross-sectional and correlational one. The study population included all nurses working in public hospitals of a province in Iran in 2016. The stratified random sampling was used. The data were collected using Nursing Stress Scale (NSS) and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire. The SPSS software version 22 and independent t, Chi-square, and Mann-Whitney tests were used for data analysis.
The prevalence of GERD and severe levels of occupational stress among nurses were 26.8%, and 25.9%, respectively. Statistical analyses showed no significant correlation between occupational stress and the risk of GERD, but a significant relation was found between the sex of the nurses and their occupational stress and between their type of employment and the risks of GERD.
The prevalence of GERD among nurses had no significant difference with that in the general community. Although nursing is considered as a stressful job, it seems that nurses adapt themselves with the working conditions after a while and experience stress levels similar to other people in the community.