title: Perceived Stress among Malaysian Railway Workers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stress is a common work-related problem worldwide. Railway workers are predominantly stressed due to their rigid protocols and limited rest opportunities. This study aimed to determine the level of, and factors associated with, stress among railway workers in Malaysia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted among all 729 railway workers employed at Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) in eight states in Malaysia via a postal survey. The self-administered questionnaire consisted of socio-demographic characteristics and the validated Malay version of Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). Response rate was 70.4% (513/729).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean (SD) age of workers was 41.4 (10.7), with the majority aged 30 years or older (79.3%). Mean (SD) perceived stress was 18.8 (4.3). In multiple linear regression analysis, the significant predictors of high stress were high school versus tertiary education (β = 0.10, 95% CI 0.11, 1.73,P= 0.027) and being a white collar worker versus blue collar (β = 0.113, 95% CI 0.10, 1.74,P= 0.010).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Education level and type of work were significantly associated with perceived stress among railway workers in this study.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, SEGI University, Jalan Teknologi, Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Sami Abdo Radman
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Al-Dubai
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center, Seberang Jaya Hospital (HSJ), Jalan Tun Hussein Onn, 13700 Seberang Jaya, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Kurubaran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ganasegeran
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, Kulliyyah of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Bandar Indera Mahkota, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Ramadan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elkalmi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aden University, Aden, Yemen.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alshakka
authors.affiliation: Ahfad University for Women, Omdurman, Khartoum State, Sudan.
authors.forename: Nizar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghanem
keywords: Malaysia; mental health; occupational health; transportation; workers