Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: July | Volume: 6 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 324-332
A Study of Correlation of Perceived Stress and Pulmonary Function Tests among Working Women in an Urban Population of West Bengal
Dr. Arunima Chaudhuri1, Dr. Sumanta Ghosh Maulik2
1Associate Professor Department of Physiology, Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital (Affiliated to West Bengal University of Health Sciences), Rampurhat, West Bengal, India.
2Associate Professor Department of Anaesthesiology, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital (Affiliated to West Bengal University of Health Sciences), Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
Corresponding Author: Dr. Sumanta Ghosh Maulik
ABSTRACT
Background: Psychological factors have long been suspected to influence lung function in asthma. Resilience and vulnerability to stressors as well as intensity of stress response greatly depends on age, gender, intelligence, and numerous characteristics of personality.
Aims: To study correlation of perceived stress and pulmonary function tests among working females in an urban population of West Bengal.
Materials and methods: The present pilot study was conducted in the department of Physiology of Burdwan Medical College after taking institutional ethical clearance and informed consent of the subjects. Six hundred healthy working females were selected from the local population. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) of Sheldon Cohen was used to measure perceived stress scores. Subjects were divided into two groups according to perceived stress scores with 300 subjects in each group. Subjects with PSS SCORES 20 and above (Group A) and Subjects with PSS SCORES less than 20 (Group B). Pulmonary function tests were carried in all subjects. SPSS version 16 was used to analyse the data.
Results: There was no significant difference in age between the two groups. Perceived stress scores were significantly higher in group A as compared to group B. Group A had PSS 28.0337± 3.0847 and Group B had PSS 14.347± 2.059; P value <0.0001**. There was significant difference in FEV1 and FVC between the two groups with Group B having significantly higher values of both the parameters as compared to group A. Group A FEV1 2.635± 0.8607 vs. Group B FEV1 2.879± 0.6477; P value 0.000109**; Group A FVC 2.81296 ± 0.8797 vs. Group B FVC 3.0816± 0.644; P value<0.0001**. There was no significant difference in FEV1/FVC% between the two groups. PSS was negatively correlated with all parameters of PFT in both groups.
Conclusions: Most working females perceive high levels of stress which may have adverse outcome in their pulmonary function test results. Increased perceived stress levels may adversely affect lung function in even healthy young individuals.
Key words: Working females, perceived stress, pulmonary function tests.
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