Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: July | Volume: 6 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 175-183
To Study the Impact of Stress Management Programme on Lipid Profile in Young Female School Teachers: A Longitudinal Interventional Study
Dr. Arunima Chaudhuri1, Dr. Sumanta Ghosh Maulik2
1Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital (Affiliated to West Bengal University of Health Sciences), Rampurhat, West Bengal, India.
2Associate Professor, Department of Anaesthesiology, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital (Affiliated to West Bengal University of Health Sciences), Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
ABSTRACT
Background: Teaching is a stressful job and level of stress varies across different population. Female teachers perceive more stress as compared to males.
Aims: To study the impact of stress management programme on lipid profile in young female school teachers.
Materials and methods: The present pilot study was conducted in the department of Physiology of Burdwan Medical College after taking institutional ethical clearance and informed consent of the subjects. Two hundred healthy female school teachers were selected from the local population. Stress level in the subjects was assessed according to the Presumptive stressful life event scale (PSLES). The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) of Sheldon Cohen was used to measure perceived stress scores. Anthropometric measurements, resting pulse rate and blood pressure were recorded, followed by analysis of lipid profile. The subjects were given a training of progressive muscle relaxation for three months and PSS, lipid profile were reassessed. SPSS version 16 was used to analyse the data.
Results: Two hundred female school teachers with PSLES scores more than 200 were included in the present study. All were non vegetarian. They belonged to middle socioeconomic class. All were married. 86% of the teachers traveled more than two hours to reach their school and were more stressed in comparison to 14% of the teachers who traveled less than two hours. Workplace distance from home and non-participation of partners in household work were significant contributors in increasing perceived stress levels. Mean values of different parameters were as follows: Age 30.84±2.56; BMI 26.48±2.76; Waist/ Hip ratio 0.998±0.079; PSLES 315.33±29.04; PSS 28.036±3.093 before practice of PMR vs.24.59± 3.67 after practice of PMR; P value< 0.001**. Total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, VLDL were significantly decreased following PMR training while HDL significantly increased after training. PSS was positively correlated with total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, VLDL and negatively correlated with HDL.
Conclusions: Female school teachers are highly stressed. Distance of work place, non-participation of partners in household work is important factors for increase in stress levels. Increased stress levels were associated with dyslipidemia in the present study and practice of progressive muscle relaxation may help in reducing stress levels and improve lipid profile in this group of subjects.
Key words: Female school teachers, Progressive muscle relaxation, lipid profile.
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