Interaction Effects of Job Stressors and Job Crafting on Health Outcomes in Nurses

Abstract

Objectives: Job crafting (JC) is defined as “the physical and cognitive change individuals make in the task or relational boundaries of their work.” The purpose of this study was to examine the interaction effects of job stressors and JC on health outcomes of nurses in Japan.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study with nurses of five organizations, 148 nurses completed a self-administered questionnaire (response rate = 79.7%). JC was assessed using the Job Crafting Questionnaire, which comprises four subscales, increasing structural job resources (JC1), reducing hindering job demands (JC2), increasing social job resources (JC3), and increasing challenging job demands (JC4). Job strain based on the demands-control model, and workplace bullying were assessed as job stressors. Psychological distress (PD), fatigue, and work engagement were assessed as health outcomes. After confirming the validity of the measurements, the interaction effects of job stressors and each subscale of JC on health outcomes were assessed using hierarchical linear regression analyses. We constructed regression lines and predicted values with significant (p < 0.05) interactions.

Results: The interaction effects of job strain and JC1 on PD, of person-related bullying and JC2 on work engagement, of person-related bullying and JC3 on fatigue, and of person-related bullying and JC4 on PD were significant (p < 0.05). After adjustment for sociodemographic factors, only the last interaction effect was significant (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: We found the interaction effects of job stressors and JC on health outcomes of nurses. JC4 attenuated the increase in PD accompanying the increase in person-related bullying.