{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,21]],"date-time":"2026-04-21T06:43:54Z","timestamp":1776753834420,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,29]],"date-time":"2026-01-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769644800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Danish International Development Agency. There was no additional external funding received for this study"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"\n Introduction<\/jats:title>\n Workplace stress is an ongoing global and local challenge in healthcare, driven by high demands, long hours, and emotional strain, requiring urgent attention to safeguard workers\u2019 well-being and ensure quality care.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Objective<\/jats:title>\n This study assessed workplace stress, support systems, and coping strategies among healthcare professionals in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n A facility based cross sectional study was conducted in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia, in August 2023. A total of 496 healthcare professionals from five different hospitals were randomly selected to participate in the study. Various validated scales, including the Workplace Stress Scale (WSS), Workplace Support for Health Scale (WSHS), and Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3) were used to assess the participants\u2019 stress levels, social support systems, and their utilization of coping strategies. The data analysis involved descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression techniques.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n Results showed that 53% of healthcare workers experienced stress, with 25% reporting low, 16% moderate, and 12% severe stress. Positive workplace support for a healthier life was reported by 54% of respondents. Stress levels were significantly linked to factors like qualifications, facility type, and salary level (p\u2009<\u20090.05). Female workers had slightly lower stress odds than males. Workers aged 30\u201339 and 50\u201359 had lower odds of stress compared to those under 30. Higher income and working in primary hospitals were associated with reduced stress odds compared to lower income and referral hospitals.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n This study found considerable workplace stress driven by individual, organizational, and external factors, calling for targeted interventions like stress management training and resilience building programs to enhance health workers\u2019 coping skill and improve healthcare environments in Ethiopia.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0341226","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,29]],"date-time":"2026-01-29T18:32:32Z","timestamp":1769711552000},"page":"e0341226","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Workplace stress, support and stress management strategies for healthier lifestyles among healthcare workers in Ethiopia"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5465-1509","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Zewdie","family":"Birhanu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0774-1413","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Habtamu","family":"Mekonen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Reginald A.","family":"Kavishe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lars","family":"Lien","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lena Skovgaard","family":"Andersen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Declare L.","family":"Mushi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2060-4675","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Tania Aase","family":"Dr\u00e6bel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gudina Terefe","family":"Tucho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0341226.ref001","author":"National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)","year":"1999"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0341226.ref002","first-page":"600","article-title":"The cost of work-related stress to society: a systematic review","volume":"69","author":"SI Giga","year":"2008","journal-title":"Br J Hosp Med (Lond)"},{"key":"pone.0341226.ref003"},{"key":"pone.0341226.ref004","author":"EU-OSHA \u2014 European Agency for Safety and Health at Work","year":"1999"},{"key":"pone.0341226.ref005","author":"National Center for Biotechnology Information"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0341226.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"217","DOI":"10.19044\/esj.2017.v13n5p217","article-title":"Workplace stress and employee wellbeing: case of health care staff in UAE","volume":"13","author":"N Khan","year":"2017","journal-title":"ESJ"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0341226.ref007","first-page":"45","article-title":"Workplace stress and employee wellbeing: case of healthcare staff in UA","volume":"36","author":"T Andrysiewicz","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Econ Manag"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0341226.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"539","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-021-10579-1","article-title":"Occupational stress and associated factors among health care professionals in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"21","author":"B Girma","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0341226.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"836654","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2022.836654","article-title":"Prevalence of burnout and associated factors among health professionals working in public health facilities of Dire Dawa city administration, Eastern Ethiopia","volume":"10","author":"F Ahmed","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0341226.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31268","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-024-82703-1","article-title":"Prevalence of burnout and associated factors among nurses working in public hospitals, southern Ethiopia: a multi-center embedded mixed study","volume":"14","author":"AG Efa","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"key":"pone.0341226.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1147086","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1147086","article-title":"Occupational stress and associated factors among nurses working at public hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2022; 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