title: [Stress among nurses: an examination of salivary cortisol levels on work and day off].
abstract: The present study evaluates the use of salivary cortisol concentration as a physiological index of the stress level among nurses on their work day and day off and correlates it with the questionnaire used to measure occupational stress in nurses (Inventário de Estresse em Enfermeiros - IEE). This is a comparative, cross-sectional descriptive study in which sociodemographic data, IEE results and salivary cortisol levels were used. Fifty-seven nurses participated in the study (80.7% females and a mean age of 37.1 years old). The IEE average score was 124.5. The average cortisol level was 564.1 ng/m on work day and 354.1 ng/mL on day off. Nurses who had double workdays presented high values of salivary cortisol during the work day (638.1 ng/mL). In conclusion, salivary cortisol identified the nurses' stress level, and differences were found between a work day and day off. On the nurses' day off, their salivary cortisol levels and stress scores were lower.
authors.affiliation: University of Campinas, CampinasSP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Cecília
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Pires da Rocha
authors.affiliation: University of Campinas, CampinasSP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Milva Maria
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Figueiredo de Martino
authors.affiliation: Biology Institute, University of Campinas, CampinasSP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Dora Maria
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Grassi-Kassisse
authors.affiliation: Biology Institute, University of Campinas, CampinasSP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aglécio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luiz de Souza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009729:Nursing; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone