Assessment of the Impact of Healthcare Professionals' Health Behaviors, Working Conditions, and Social Life on Their Perceived Stress Levels During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACTObjective: The aim of our study is to determine the possible factors that affected the level of stress perceived by healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 223 healthcare professionals. The study data were obtained via electronic questionnaires between October 2020 and February 2021. Results: Of the healthcare professionals, 40.8% (91) were female; their mean age was 39.39±8.92. Some sociodemographic characteristics affected perceived stress. The participants stated that they paid attention to their nutrition (72.2%, n=161), sleep patterns (36.8%, n=82), and physical activities (22.9%, n=51) to protect themselves from COVID-19. We identified those with higher levels of perceived stress as those who looked after COVID-19 patients, those who worked in surgical units, those who had a change in their working hours and locations, those who worked on the COVID-19 frontlines reluctantly, and those whose teammates were receiving COVID-19 treatment. The most common difficulties encountered while working in COVID-19 units were putting on and taking off personal protective equipment (PPE), experiencing heavy sweating because of the PPE, and other conditions such as redness, sores, and edema. Conclusion: It is evident that healthcare professionals work under risk and stress, highlighting the necessity for employers to assess employees' stress levels. Developing practical and field-applicable measurement tools for continuous assessment, avoiding the use of inappropriate supportive products, and providing education on healthy lifestyle behaviors—particularly for nurses but also for all healthcare workers—are essential. Additionally, the establishment of institutional policies and the conduction of more comprehensive studies would be beneficial.