Gender differences in psychosocial factors related to severe stress in a construction company in Japan

BACKGROUND: In Japan, women’s participation in the workforce has been increasing. However, there are few studies about gender differences in stress factors in the workplace. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to clarify gender differences in psychosocial factors in the workplace related to severe stress. METHODS: In total, 930 male and 339 female employees working in a construction company in Japan participated in this study. We used individual responses to the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) conducted by their company for the most recent year between 2016 and 2019. Data were categorized by gender, and we extracted the factors contributing to severe stress using logistic regression. RESULTS: We identified 142 men and 32 women who had severe stress. Logistic regression analysis showed that six factors (“Qualitative job overload”, “Job control”, “Interpersonal conflict”, “Poor physical environment”, “Supervisor’s support”, and “Job satisfaction and life satisfaction”) were significantly associated with the presence of severe stress in men. In women, five factors (“Qualitative job overload”, “Job control”, “Interpersonal conflict”, “Suitable work”, and “Job satisfaction and life satisfaction”) showed a significant association with severe stress. CONCLUSION: Factors associated with severe stress were “Poor physical environment” and “Supervisor’s support” in men, and “Suitable work” in women.