Relationship between Occupational Stress and the Performance of Health Care Units in Hamadan Health Center, Iran

Background and Objective: Since human resources and employees are among the most important assets of any organization, identification of the factors affecting their performance and occupational stress is becoming increasingly important. In this study, we examined the relationship between occupational stress and the performance of different health care units. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed among all the health care workers (n=150) of urban and rural health centers of Hamadan, Iran. The data collection instruments included a stress questionnaire designed by Elliot (1994) and an annual checklist provided by the Ministry of Health of Iran. To analyze the data, Pearson correlation coefficient and independent t-test were run in SPSS, version 16. Results: The total mean scores of occupational stress and performance were 55.16 and 79.64, respectively. These scores were respectively 55.14 and 78.21 in the family health unit, 57.06 and 76.87 in the disease control unit, and 54.03, 83.31 in the occupational and environmental health unit. The results showed a significant negative relationship between occupational stress and performance of the units (P=0.001). Further, age had a significant positive association with performance (P<0.001) and a significant negative relationship with stress (P<0.001). Conclusion: Regarding the confirmation of the relationship between stress level and staff performance and the fact that human resources are key to determining the quality, accessibility, and cost of health care services, we recommend authorities to take effective actions for reducing stress and promoting efficiency.