Survey study, 2016

Are emotional labor at work and stress linked to PMS symptoms in nurses?

Yes. Nurses with higher emotional labor and higher stress had worse PMS symptoms. There were clear relationships between all three: emotional labor linked to stress, emotional labor linked to PMS, and stress linked to PMS.

Early or limited evidence 228 nurses working at hospitals

What they did

They surveyed 228 nurses working at hospitals about their emotional labor at work, stress levels, and PMS symptoms using questionnaires from September to October 2014.

What they found

Nurses with irregular menstrual cycles or heavier periods had worse PMS. Those who exercised less had higher stress. Emotional labor, stress, and PMS scores were higher in nurses than the general average. Emotional labor was linked to both stress and PMS, and stress was linked to PMS.

What it means for you

The study suggests that emotional demands at work may affect PMS symptoms in nurses. However, we cannot know the direction of these relationships. It is possible that having PMS makes work feel more stressful. The study is limited to hospital nurses in one country.

228

nurses surveyed

About the study

Original title: Effect of Emotional Labor and Stress on Premenstrual Syndrome among Hospital Nurses
Authors: Lee SH, Song JA, Hur MH
Journal: Korean journal of women health nursing
Year: 2016
Study design: Survey study
Participants: 228
What was tested: Emotional labor and stress
Open access: Yes
Read the paper: doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2016.22.1.61

Topics

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)Stress Work and productivity Relationships and partners

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