G-3831

Occupational Profiles of Patients with Acute Stroke in an Iranian Population: An Observational Analysis

 Amirreza Jabbaripour Sarmadian ¹ ℗, Alireza Ala ¹, Naeimeh Hosseinzadeh ¹, Maryam Rahimpour Asenjan ¹, Gisou Gorashian ¹, Samad Shams Vahdati ¹ ©   

 
Abstract

Introduction: Stroke ranks as the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of combined mortality and disability worldwide. Psychosocial stress, influenced by various factors such as occupational conditions, is considered one of the crucial risk factors for acute stroke. However, studies show conflicting results about the relationship between occupational stress and the occurrence of acute stroke. Therefore, this research aims to examine the occupational profiles of patients with acute stroke in an Iranian population. Methods and Materials: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the emergency department of Imam Reza Hospital, Tabriz. Patients admitted with a confirmed diagnosis of acute stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic), based on clinical symptoms and imaging findings, were included. Following confirmation of the stroke subtype, demographic data, including age and gender, as well as occupational profiles, such as job type, night shift work, and self-reported job difficulty were collected. Results: A total of 301 patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 66.93 ± 15.41 years. Among them, 148 (49.2%) were male and 153 (50.8%) were female. Ischemic stroke was the predominant subtype, affecting 275 patients (91.4%), while 26 patients (8.6%) had hemorrhagic stroke. The most common occupations were housewife (141 patients, 46.8%), employee (32 patients, 10.6%), farmer (24 patients, 8.0%), self-employed professional (22 patients, 7.3%), and leather industry worker (19 patients, 6.3%). Fifteen patients (5.0%) were unemployed. Only 5 patients (1.7%) reported working night shifts, with the vast majority (98.3%) not engaged in night work. According to self-reports, 21 patients (7%) considered their jobs difficult. Statistical analysis showed no significant associations between stroke subtypes and patients’ occupations (p-value = 0.703), night shift work (p-value = 0.490), or job difficulty (p-value = 0.514). Conclusion and Discussion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in our region investigating the occupational profiles of patients with acute stroke. Our findings indicate a higher prevalence of stroke among housewives, employees, farmers, and self-employed professionals. However, no significant correlations were observed between occupational factors and stroke subtypes. Considering potential confounding factors, future longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes and a focus on various occupational variables are recommended to better understand the relationship between occupational stress and stroke risk.

Keywords: Stroke, Cerebrovascular Accident, Job Stress, Occupational Stress, Social Health