TY - JOUR
T1 - Prevalence and factors associated with depression, anxiety and stress symptoms among construction workers in Nepal
AU - Adhikari, Bikram
AU - Poudel, Lisasha
AU - Bhandari, Niroj
AU - Adhikari, Nabin
AU - Shrestha, Bhawana
AU - Poudel, Bikram
AU - Bishwokarma, Anupama
AU - Kuikel, Bihari Saran
AU - Timalsena, Dinesh
AU - Paneru, Bandana
AU - Gurung, Minani
AU - Koju, Pramesh
AU - Karkee, Rajendra
AU - Ghimire, Anup
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright: © 2023 Adhikari et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
PY - 2023/5
Y1 - 2023/5
N2 - Introduction The construction industry in Nepal, which employs a significant proportion of the population, ranks as one of the largest industries in the country. Construction work is physically demanding and can be risky due to the use of heavy machinery and the presence of intense physical labor. However, the physical and mental health of construction workers in Nepal is often neglected. This study aimed to assess psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms) and its association with socio-demographic, lifestyle, and occupational factors among construction workers in Kavre district, Nepal. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study from 1st October 2019 to 15th January 2020 among 402 construction workers in Banepa, and Panauti municipalities of Kavre district, Nepal. We collected data with face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire consisting of a) socio-demographic characteristics; b) lifestyle and occupational characteristics; and c) depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. We collected data using electronic forms in KoboToolbox and imported them into R version 3.6.2 for statistical analysis. We present parametric numerical variables as mean and standard deviation, and categorical variables as percentage and frequency. The confidence interval around proportion was estimated with the Clopper-Pearson method. We applied univariate and multivariable logistic regression to determine factors associated with depression symptoms, anxiety, and stress. The result of logistic regression was presented as crude odds ratio, adjusted odds ratio (AOR), and their 95% confidence interval (CI). Results The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms were 17.1% (95%CI: 13.6–21.2), 19.2% (95%CI: 15.5–23.4) and 16.4% (95%CI: 12.9–20.4), respectively. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, depression symptom was positively associated with poor sleep quality (AOR = 3.51; 95%CI: 1.5–8.19; p-value: 0.004); stress symptom was positively associated with Brahmin ethnicity (AOR = 3.76; 95%CI:1.34–10.58; p-value: 0.012) and current smoking (AOR = 2.0; 95%CI: 1.11–3.82 p-value: 0.022). But anxiety symptoms were not associated with any of the variables. Conclusions The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms were high among construction workers. Developing evidence-based and appropriate community-based mental health prevention programs among laborers and construction workers is recommended.
AB - Introduction The construction industry in Nepal, which employs a significant proportion of the population, ranks as one of the largest industries in the country. Construction work is physically demanding and can be risky due to the use of heavy machinery and the presence of intense physical labor. However, the physical and mental health of construction workers in Nepal is often neglected. This study aimed to assess psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms) and its association with socio-demographic, lifestyle, and occupational factors among construction workers in Kavre district, Nepal. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study from 1st October 2019 to 15th January 2020 among 402 construction workers in Banepa, and Panauti municipalities of Kavre district, Nepal. We collected data with face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire consisting of a) socio-demographic characteristics; b) lifestyle and occupational characteristics; and c) depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. We collected data using electronic forms in KoboToolbox and imported them into R version 3.6.2 for statistical analysis. We present parametric numerical variables as mean and standard deviation, and categorical variables as percentage and frequency. The confidence interval around proportion was estimated with the Clopper-Pearson method. We applied univariate and multivariable logistic regression to determine factors associated with depression symptoms, anxiety, and stress. The result of logistic regression was presented as crude odds ratio, adjusted odds ratio (AOR), and their 95% confidence interval (CI). Results The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms were 17.1% (95%CI: 13.6–21.2), 19.2% (95%CI: 15.5–23.4) and 16.4% (95%CI: 12.9–20.4), respectively. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, depression symptom was positively associated with poor sleep quality (AOR = 3.51; 95%CI: 1.5–8.19; p-value: 0.004); stress symptom was positively associated with Brahmin ethnicity (AOR = 3.76; 95%CI:1.34–10.58; p-value: 0.012) and current smoking (AOR = 2.0; 95%CI: 1.11–3.82 p-value: 0.022). But anxiety symptoms were not associated with any of the variables. Conclusions The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms were high among construction workers. Developing evidence-based and appropriate community-based mental health prevention programs among laborers and construction workers is recommended.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85160641584&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0284696
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0284696
M3 - Article
C2 - 37252920
AN - SCOPUS:85160641584
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 18
JO - PLoS ONE
JF - PLoS ONE
IS - 5 May
M1 - e0284696
ER -
