Title : The number of steps taken as a buffer factor for stress in working people
Abstract:
Introduction: It has been reported that there are diverse individual differences in how stressors are perceived and how psychological reactions are manifested. This cannot be resolved by a single causal relationship between stressors and psychological reactions. It has been reported that it is important to consider buffering factors, which are variables that intervene between the two. As a buffering factor, empirical rules for psychological pain and previous research have reported that physical activity can reduce work stress, improve psychological pain, and improve mood. Therefore, we focused on physical activity. In this study, we examined the effects and relationship of stressors on psychological pain or work engagement in employed people, and whether the number of steps, which is an easy and objective numerical value and allows easy goal setting, is effective as a buffering factor between stressors and psychological pain or work engagement.
Subjects and Methods: The subjects were 143 employees of IT venture companies who had self-administered questionnaire survey results in the FiNC database and who agreed to have their data extracted. IOS step count data was obtained from 92 of the 143 people mentioned above (64%). As for the survey method, a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted for stressors, psychological distress, and work engagement, and data was stored in the database, while for the number of steps, average data for the week prior to the self-administered questionnaire survey was extracted from the database from iOS device users. The survey included socio-demographic indicators, number of steps, stressors (stressor section of the Occupational Stress Questionnaire (9 scales, 17 items/4-point method)), psychological distress (K6 questionnaire (6 items/5-point method)), and work engagement (work engagement section of the New Occupational Stress Questionnaire (2 items/4-point method)).
As for statistical analysis, a forced-entry multiple regression analysis was conducted with psychological distress and work engagement as dependent variables to see if there was an interaction between stressors and number of steps in relation to psychological distress and work engagement.
Results: A simple tabulation of the subjects' basic attributes showed that their ages ranged from 20 to 58 years (mean = 32.71, standard deviation = 8.26), and that there were 80 men (55.94%) and 63 women (44.06%). The overall mean number of steps was 7,334.69, the overall mean number of stressors was 28.06 points, the overall mean number of psychological distress was 5.21 points, and the overall mean number of work engagement was 2.99 points.
To examine whether the number of steps could be a buffering factor for psychological distress and work engagement, a multiple regression analysis was performed to examine whether an interaction was observed. As a result of the analysis, the interaction term between stressors and number of steps did not significantly regress on either the index of psychological distress or work engagement.
Conclusion: We were able to conclude that the number of steps alone may not be useful as a buffering factor between stressors and psychological distress or work engagement, and that other methods of dealing with this issue are necessary.
