[Stress levels in health care workers from primary care units]

To determine stress levels in health care workers (HCW) from Primary Care Units (PCU).

A descriptive study in HCW from two PCU was done to investigate stress in relation with environment, activity/occupation, relationship and lifestyle. The "Individual Evaluation Stress Inventory" was applied to 167 HCW from different job areas and categories.

The mean age was 41 +/- 8 years; 31 % were males, and the worker seniority mean age was 16.2 +/- 5.9 years. The population was constituted by 32 % physicians; 38 % nurser/medical assistants and 30 % from the support areas. A low stress was presented in 11 %; minimum in 25 %; normal level in 37 %; high in 25 %, and 2 % had critical stress level. There was no significant association between stress and other variables. HCW with higher stress were married (56 % versus 78 %, p = 0.06), had less seniority (13.6 +/- 6.0 versus 16.6 +/- 6.0, p = 0.09). Females had higher stress than males.

Stress in HCW was inferior to international and national score. The principal associated factors were: being married, having less seniority and being female.