title: A study of the health-related quality of life and work-related stress of white-collar migrant workers.
abstract: Little is known about the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and work-related stress and its risk factors among white-collar businessmen and management workers that migrate to high-income developing countries. A structural questionnaire survey was administered to 156 white-collar Taiwanese management personnel of representative companies of their industries in Taiwan, who were assigned long-term job positions in China. Questionnaire content included demographics and medical history, self-reported physical and mental conditions, personal lifestyle and behavior, Beck Depression Inventory, and information on HRQoL. White-collar migrant workers reported a high prevalence of alcohol consumption (72.4%) and perceived work-related stress (62.2%), and a lower prevalence of regular exercise (12.2%). Workers with higher levels of perceived work-related stress reported more alcohol consumption, a history of hyperlipidemia, and a higher prevalence of self-reported neck pain, poor sleep, and mild/moderate/severe depression. In our primary multivariate risk model to determine lifestyle and work-related stress variables and HRQoL, perceived work-related stress and a feeling of depression negatively impacted both the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores of the SF-36 health survey. Hyperlipidemia and self-reported neck pain were associated with significantly lower PCS scores, whereas cardiovascular disease, gastric ulcer, and poor sleep were associated with statistically lower MCS scores. White-collar migrant workers are generally younger with high socioeconomic status. Perceived work-related stress and a feeling of depression indirectly affect HRQoL. Hyperlipidemia, self-reported neck pain, cardiovascular disease, gastric ulcer, and poor sleep also had a significant negative impact on HRQoL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Management, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, No. 8, Yida Road., Yanchao Township, Kaohsiung Country 824, Taiwan. sytsai@isu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Su-Ying
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D044466:Asian People; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*