Mediating effect of occupational stress between skeletal muscle disorders and depressive symptoms in firefighters: a Structural Equation Modeling approach

Objectives The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between skeletal muscle disorders (SMD), occupational stress (OS) and depressive symptoms (DS) among firefighters. Material and Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among firefighters in Chongqing, China. Descriptive sta...

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Main Authors: Fengqiong Chen, Liang Wang, Jin Wang, Meiling Liu, Shiwei Cao, Yunxuan Huang, Huaxin Deng, Mengliang Ye
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine 2025-02-01
Series:International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health
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Online Access:https://ijomeh.eu/Mediating-effect-of-occupational-stress-between-skeletal-muscle-disorders-and-depressive,199495,0,2.html
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author Fengqiong Chen
Liang Wang
Jin Wang
Meiling Liu
Shiwei Cao
Yunxuan Huang
Huaxin Deng
Mengliang Ye
author_facet Fengqiong Chen
Liang Wang
Jin Wang
Meiling Liu
Shiwei Cao
Yunxuan Huang
Huaxin Deng
Mengliang Ye
author_sort Fengqiong Chen
collection DOAJ
description Objectives The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between skeletal muscle disorders (SMD), occupational stress (OS) and depressive symptoms (DS) among firefighters. Material and Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among firefighters in Chongqing, China. Descriptive statistic and correlation analyses were performed by using SPSS 26.0. AMOS 24.0 was used to construct the structural equation modeling between SMD and DS. The mediating effect of OS was also evaluated. Results The results demonstrate that SMD can predict DS (β = 0.25, p < 0.001) and OS (β = 0.39, p < 0.001) positively, OS positively predicted DS (β = 0.39, p < 0.001) after controlling for SMD. Additionally, OS has a partial indirect effect between DS and SMD (indirect effects = 0.209, 95% CI: 0.093–0.372, p < 0.001). Conclusions Occupational stress has a partial indirect effect between SMD and DS among firefighters. Skeletal muscle disorders could affect DS not only directly, but also indirectly, by affecting OS. These findings may be of great significance and contribution to the future research of firefighters’ occupational health. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2025;38(1):18–29
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institution DOAJ
issn 1232-1087
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language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine
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spelling doaj-art-7fa7a56c8ce74e3d8c52eeb821970ed12025-08-20T02:52:34ZengNofer Institute of Occupational MedicineInternational Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health1232-10871896-494X2025-02-01381182910.13075/ijomeh.1896.02457199495Mediating effect of occupational stress between skeletal muscle disorders and depressive symptoms in firefighters: a Structural Equation Modeling approachFengqiong Chen0Liang Wang1https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6071-4920Jin Wang2Meiling Liu3Shiwei Cao4Yunxuan Huang5Huaxin Deng6Mengliang Ye7https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3777-9954Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing, ChinaChongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China (College of Public Health)Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China (Institute of Occupational Health and Poisoning Control)The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China (Department of Gastroenterology)Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China (The Second Clinical College)Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China (College of Public Health)Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing, ChinaChongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China (College of Public Health)Objectives The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between skeletal muscle disorders (SMD), occupational stress (OS) and depressive symptoms (DS) among firefighters. Material and Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among firefighters in Chongqing, China. Descriptive statistic and correlation analyses were performed by using SPSS 26.0. AMOS 24.0 was used to construct the structural equation modeling between SMD and DS. The mediating effect of OS was also evaluated. Results The results demonstrate that SMD can predict DS (β = 0.25, p < 0.001) and OS (β = 0.39, p < 0.001) positively, OS positively predicted DS (β = 0.39, p < 0.001) after controlling for SMD. Additionally, OS has a partial indirect effect between DS and SMD (indirect effects = 0.209, 95% CI: 0.093–0.372, p < 0.001). Conclusions Occupational stress has a partial indirect effect between SMD and DS among firefighters. Skeletal muscle disorders could affect DS not only directly, but also indirectly, by affecting OS. These findings may be of great significance and contribution to the future research of firefighters’ occupational health. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2025;38(1):18–29https://ijomeh.eu/Mediating-effect-of-occupational-stress-between-skeletal-muscle-disorders-and-depressive,199495,0,2.htmldepressive symptomsoccupational stressfirefightersstructural equation modelingmediating effectskeletal muscle disorders
spellingShingle Fengqiong Chen
Liang Wang
Jin Wang
Meiling Liu
Shiwei Cao
Yunxuan Huang
Huaxin Deng
Mengliang Ye
Mediating effect of occupational stress between skeletal muscle disorders and depressive symptoms in firefighters: a Structural Equation Modeling approach
International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health
depressive symptoms
occupational stress
firefighters
structural equation modeling
mediating effect
skeletal muscle disorders
title Mediating effect of occupational stress between skeletal muscle disorders and depressive symptoms in firefighters: a Structural Equation Modeling approach
title_full Mediating effect of occupational stress between skeletal muscle disorders and depressive symptoms in firefighters: a Structural Equation Modeling approach
title_fullStr Mediating effect of occupational stress between skeletal muscle disorders and depressive symptoms in firefighters: a Structural Equation Modeling approach
title_full_unstemmed Mediating effect of occupational stress between skeletal muscle disorders and depressive symptoms in firefighters: a Structural Equation Modeling approach
title_short Mediating effect of occupational stress between skeletal muscle disorders and depressive symptoms in firefighters: a Structural Equation Modeling approach
title_sort mediating effect of occupational stress between skeletal muscle disorders and depressive symptoms in firefighters a structural equation modeling approach
topic depressive symptoms
occupational stress
firefighters
structural equation modeling
mediating effect
skeletal muscle disorders
url https://ijomeh.eu/Mediating-effect-of-occupational-stress-between-skeletal-muscle-disorders-and-depressive,199495,0,2.html
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