Authors: Yukiko Kawano, Shinichi Demura, Yoshiharu Tanaka, Yoshimasa Matsuura.
Secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA)/total protein ratio and α-amylase are components of saliva used as indices of physiological stress; the levels of these components fluctuate with stress.
This study aimed to compare the stress levels in female care workers with general workers based on two indices in the saliva.
The study included 22 (50.2 ± 11.4 years) female care workers with 20 female general workers served as a control group (53.9 ± 8.6 years).
Saliva samples were collected eight times a day from each participant: after waking up, after breakfast, before lunch, after lunch, at 15:00 h, before dinner, after dinner and at bedtime.
The s-IgA/total protein ratio and α-amylase activity were examined by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (care workers × general workers) with pairing only one way (the collection time).
By two-way ANOVA, s-IgA/total protein decreased in the afternoon and slightly increased at night in care workers and gradually increased from the morning to the night in general workers, showing comparatively lower values in care workers than in general workers. However, the result of ANOVA showed no statistically significant difference for the interaction or the main factors between the groups.
The α-amylase activity in both groups of workers increased throughout the day from waking up to afternoon and then decreased at bedtime. However, statistically insignificant difference was shown for the interaction of both factors (care workers × general workers and the collection time).
There was insignificant difference in stress based on physiological stress indicators (s-IgA and α-amylase activity) during their days off work between female care workers and female general workers. This could be owing to the fact that the care workers in our study were in their 50s, had developed skills to deal with stress through their life and working experience, and did not experience work stress on their days off.
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