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Background: Occupational stress is a negative physical and emotional response to job requirements, which might be caused by various factors that can harm the emotional and physical well-being of the employee. We aimed to investigate the factors and conditions associated with occupational stress. Study Design: The study was cross-sectional, conducted with the Perceived Stress Scale ten item version. Results: The majority of the participants reported moderate stress 223 (71%) and a small proportion (n=38, 12.2%) a high stress level. Several factors associated with higher risk of stress level for example being single were associated with higher risk of stress level in 135 (74.6%), moderate and high stress level was also reported in the group without enough income, 96 (75%) and 20 (15.6%), respectively. Conclusion: A group of sociodemographic factors were consistently associated with occupational stress, including gender, income, comorbidity and marital status. However, some factors remained complex and multifaceted. Recommendation: It is important to focus on reducing stress levels for all employees, regardless of their work experience or income. To prevent losing control of the healthcare worker's stress and to prevent an escalation to anxiety or depression, stress-management programs are necessary, specifically for those who are experiencing high stress levels.
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INTRODUCTION: Dental professionals have a vital role in promoting tobacco cessation interventions in dental care settings, and despite being aware of the detrimental effects of tobacco products on individuals' health, they are still engaged in using tobacco products. AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of cigarette smoking and the level of physical and social nicotine dependence among undergraduate dental students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, using standardized tools to develop appropriate tobacco cessation interventions. METHODOLOGY: Dental students from six dental colleges located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, were invited to participate in this study. A total of 430 dental students agreed to participate by providing written informed consent. Physical dependence on nicotine was assessed using the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), and social dependency was assessed using the Kano Test Social Nicotine Dependence (KTSND). RESULTS: Among the 430 participants, 120 (27%) reported smoking. The level of nicotine dependence assessed for the 120 (27%) participants who had reported smoking using FTND showed 24 (20%) with high nicotine dependence and 18 (15%) with very high nicotine dependence. When compared between the genders, five (16%) of the female participants displayed high nicotine dependency, and two (6%) displayed very high nicotine dependency. Among the male participants, 19 (21%) displayed high nicotine dependency, and 16 (18%) displayed very high nicotine dependency. The study participants also displayed high KTSND scores, male participants with a mean score of 18.20 and female participants with a mean score of 17.97. CONCLUSION: Dental students, despite being the facilitators in tobacco prevention and cessation programs, have displayed a high prevalence of cigarette smoking and nicotine dependence. These findings should be considered for designing specific tobacco cessation programs for dental students, along with effective stress management programs. Emphasis should be placed on developing and implementing policies for creating supportive environments in educational institutions. Dental students should be trained and engaged in tobacco prevention and cessation intervention programs for their patients.
