Prevalence of occupational stress and its correlates among firefighters, Tehran, Iran, 2013

Introduction: Among the various occupations, firefighters are exposed to stress due to the nature of their occupational. Hence, our aim in this study was to assess occupational stress and its correlates among Tehran’s firefighters, Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among firefighters of Tehran in 2013. A total of 312 staff of firefighting organization selected from five operating region through a multistage sampling. Demographic and occupational stress questionnaires were filled by subjects. Finally, data were analyzed with the help of SPSS for Windows. Results: Prevalence of overall stress was 2.2%. Stress levels were 5.8% in demand area, 41.0% in control area, 12.5% in communication area, 1.5% in role area, 17.0% in change area, 14.1% in manager support area, and 5.4% in peer support. The significant association was found between married status (P = 0.006), lower education (P = 0.011), number of medical visit (P = 0.044), career history (P = 0.047) with occupational stress.Conclusion: Prevalence of occupational stress in firefighters of Tehran is relatively low. It is suggested that stress-prone individuals should be identified and advised.