The Relationship between Occupational Stress and Diet Quality with Productivity Loss in Islamic School Teachers in Medan: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Occupational stress and poor dietary practices have become a global health concern. Workers with poor dietary practices may be less productive and present at work. This study examined the relationship between occupational stress and diet quality on productivity loss among Islamic school teachers in Medan. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 Islamic school teachers in Medan. They were aged 19-64 years old and recruited using purposive sampling. Their occupational stress and diet quality were evaluated using the perceived stress scale (PSS) and the balanced diet index (BDI). Productivity loss was assessed based on the number of primary working days missed (absenteeism) due to poor health during six months. Negative binomial regression was used to examine the association between occupational stress and diet quality with productivity loss. The mean occupational stress, diet quality, and absenteeism were 44.89, 34.87, and 0.86 days, respectively. After controlling sociodemographic characteristics, the regression model indicated that productivity loss was positively associated with occupational stress (p=0.006). Consuming a high-quality diet was negatively associated with productivity loss (p=0.010). It concluded that occupational stress and diet quality were associated with teachers’ productivity loss. The study highlights the importance of occupational health promotion policies for teachers.