Medical Science
Volume 24, Issue 105, September - October, 2020
Comparison of children’s behavioral problems between two groups of shift and fixed working mothers with different occupational stress levels
Elham Kebriyaei1, Fatemeh Khajeh2, Mohammad Hosein Yazdanpanah3, Maryam Naghmachi1, Zahra Bazargani1♦
1Department of Pediatrics, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
2Department of Pathology, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
3Student Research Committee, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
♦Corresponding author
Zahra Bazargani M.D.
Department of Pediatrics,
Fasa University of Medical Sciences,
Ibn-sina square, Fasa, Fars,
Iran;
Email: zahbaz@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Background and objective: Work-related stress has become one of the most serious health problems in any career. Occupational
stress in mothers can affect family relationships and children’s characteristics and behavior. The aim of our study was to investigate
any differences between shifts and fixed working mothers with high and low occupational stress in their Children's Behavioral
Problems. Materials and Methods: The study population was 32 nurse and 23 employed mothers as case and control groups. The
data were collected using Cooper Occupational Stress Questionnaire and Children's Behavioral Checklist (CBCL). T-score attributed
to CBCL parameters has been measured for assessing behavioral problems. Pearson correlation and Multiple Linear Regression was
used to examine the relationships between different variables. Results: Mean of age was 36.22in case group and this value was
detected as 37.70 years in control group. In case group, in subjects with low and moderate to severe occupational stress, the mean
of T score of anxious/depressed problems was 47.26 and 54.00 respectively, that had significant difference (p=0.042). There was a
significant relationship between nurses’ occupational stress level and their children’s anxiety/depression problems (P=0.011) and
also internalizing disorders (P=0.012). Conclusion: Increase in the level of nurses’ occupational stress in nurses may lead their
children to behavior problems especially anxious/depressed and internalizing symptoms.
Keywords: Occupational stress, shift work, children behavioral problems, mothers’ stress
Medical Science, 2020, 24(105), 3106-3112
