The relationship between occupational stress and job burnout among female manufacturing workers in Guangdong, China: a cross-sectional study

This study aims to investigate the relationship between occupational stress and job burnout in female manufacturing workers. A random sample of 1081 female workers in electronic manufacturing in Guangdong Province participated in the present study. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire that covered social-demographic characteristics, the Chinese version of the Job Content Questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Effort-reward Imbalance Questionnaire, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory for the General Survey, was used to assess occupational stress and job burnout. Independent sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation analysis, hierarchical multiple regression analysis and logistic regression analysis were used in data analysis. Occupational stress was positively correlated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and negatively correlated with personal accomplishment. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, job strain was a risk factor for emotional exhaustion (OR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.61–3.20) and depersonalization (OR = 1.96 95% CI: 1.45–2.64). Female workers with high effort-reward imbalance had an increased risk of depersonalization (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.33–2.90). Furthermore, female workers with high overcommitment had an increased risk of emotional exhaustion (OR = 3.07, 95% CI: 2.06–4.58) and depersonalization (OR = 2.83, 95% CI: 1.92–4.17), while higher social support reduced the risk of emotional exhaustion (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.26–0.53). The job burnout of female manufacturing workers is significantly correlated with their occupational stress. Higher job strain and overcommitment might be important contributors to job burnout. Increased worker social support can reduce job burnout.