title: Analysis of the occupational stress of Korean surgeons: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Surgeons serve one of the most challenging and stressful professions. Ineffective control of occupational stress leads to burnout of the surgeon. The aim of this study was to obtain preliminary data on the sources and the degree of stress of surgeons and to determine the feasibility of the survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 63 surgeons in our three affiliated hospitals were enrolled in this study. Fifty-five questions were used to assess the demographics, characteristics and Korean occupational stress scale (KOSS), which were prepared and validated by the National Study for Development and Standardization of Occupational Stress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-seven of the 63 surgeons participated in this study (74.6%). The mean KOSS score of the survey was 50.9 ± 8.55, which was significantly higher than that of other professions (P < 0.01). Drinking and smoking habits were not related to the KOSS score. Doing exercise was related to a low KOSS score in terms of low KOSS total score (P < 0.01). Average duty hours (P < 0.01) and night duty days per week (P = 0.01) were strongly related to higher KOSS in the linear regression analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to evaluate job stress of surgeons in Korea. This study showed that Korean Surgeons had higher occupational stress than other Korean professions. A larger study based on this pilot study will help generate objective data for occupational stress of Korean Surgeons by performing a survey of the members of the Korean Surgical Society.
authors: Department of Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Sang-Hee
authors: SH
authors: Kang
authors: Yoon-Jung
authors: YJ
authors: Boo
authors: Ji-Sung
authors: JS
authors: Lee
authors: Woong-Bae
authors: WB
authors: Ji
authors: Byoung-Eun
authors: BE
authors: Yoo
authors: Ji-Young
authors: JY
authors: You
keywords: Korean occupational stress scale (KOSS); Occupational stress; Surgeon; Workload
references: JAMA. 2009 Sep 23;302(12):1294-300
references: 19773564
references: Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2008 Oct;82(1):47-57
references: 18301911
references: Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am. 2010 Nov;22(4):495-502
references: 20970715
references: J Gen Intern Med. 2009 Aug;24(8):946-9
references: 19551448
references: Ann Surg. 2012 Apr;255(4):625-33
references: 22388107
references: J Palliat Med. 2009 Sep;12(9):773-7
references: 19622012
references: West J Med. 2001 Jan;174(1):19-23
references: 11154656
references: Ann Surg. 2010 Jun;251(6):995-1000
references: 19934755
references: J Am Coll Surg. 2010 Nov;211(5):609-19
references: 20851643
references: Arch Surg. 2009 Apr;144(4):371-6
references: 19380652
references: Arch Surg. 2011 Apr;146(4):385-6
references: 21502446
references: J Am Soc Hypertens. 2012 Jan-Feb;6(1):2-22
references: 22024667