Job stress and health in working women

A questionnaire assessing subjective level of job stress and physical health over the past two years was completed by 173 women in university (non-faculty) positions. Health was divided into two categories: menstrual dysfunction and other non-menstrual symptoms. Two samples, matched for age, were selected: women in high-paying positions (N = 72) and women in low-paying positions (N = 101). Respondents also answered a Recent Life Changes Questionnaire (RLCQ) and an eight-item life satisfaction list. The hypothesis of a positive relationship between job stress and menstrual dysfunction was rejected. The predicted relationship held for non-menstrual symptoms. Subjective stress, RLCQ score, and life satisfaction accounted for 21% of the variance in non-menstrual symptoms. Thus, while both RLCQ and subjective job stress were related to symptom reports, their contributions were independent of one another. The female reproductive system does not seem particularly vulnerable to the levels of stress experienced in professional, managerial, and clerical occupations.