Objective To investigate the prevalence of occupational stress among healthcare workers in Beijing and analyze its influencing factors.

Methods From August to November 2022, a stratified, disproportionate cluster sampling design was employed; healthcare workers were surveyed in 1 to 2 hospitals of different levels across 8 districts (out of 16 districts and the Economic-Technological Development Area) in Beijing to assess occupational stress occurrence. LASSO regression and logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify influencing factors.

Results A total of 2 890 questionnaires were collected from 28 medical institutions, with 2 687 valid responses returned, yielding a valid response rate of 92.97%. The median (P₂₅, P₇₅) of the occupational stress score was 44 (38, 50) points, and the prevalence of occupational stress was 26.7% (718/2 687). LASSO regression screened 11 variables, with the top five ranked by importance being poor self-rated health status, insomnia symptoms, night shifts, weekly working hours ≥ 49 hours, and sick leave. Logistic regression analysis revealed that, compared with males, females had a lower risk of occupational stress (OR=0.696); compared with those with a job tenure in their current position < 5 years, those with ≥ 5 years had a higher risk (OR=1.330 to 1.613); compared with these with monthly income < RMB 5 000, those earning ≥ RMB 9 000 had a lower risk (OR=0.809 to 0.569); compared with these working ≤ 40 weekly hours, those working ≥ 45 hours had a higher risk (OR=1.655 to 2.079); compared with these not working night shifts, night shift workers had a higher risk (OR=1.840); compared with those reporting good self-rated health, those reporting fair or poor health had a higher risk (OR=1.308, 2.329); compared with those without sick leave in the past year, those who had taken sick leave had a higher risk (OR=1.634); and compared with those without insomnia, those with insomnia had a higher risk (OR=1.770). All the above differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05).

Conclusions The prevalence of occupational stress among healthcare workers in Beijing was relatively high. It is recommended that relevant authorities implement comprehensive interventions, including reasonable scheduling of working hours and systems, health education, and promotion. Additionally, psychological health screening should be strengthened to prevent the adverse impact of poor mental states on healthcare workers.