Association between occupational health literacy and occupational stress among workers in metal mining, metallurgy and non-metallic manufacturing in Gansu,China

Background Low levels of health literacy (HL) have been consistently associated with adverse mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety; however, there is currently a lack of evidence establishing a connection between HL and occupational stress. This study aims to investigate the influence of occupational health literacy (OHL) on occupational stress, thereby providing a scientific foundation for mitigating occupational stress among workers in the industrial production sector. Methods The research involved a sample of 3,772 workers from the metal mining, metallurgy, and non-metallic mineral products industries in Gansu Province. The Individual Questionnaire of the National Key Population Occupational Health Literacy Monitoring Survey (IQ-NKPOHLMS) was employed to evaluate the workers' personal OHL, while the Core Occupational Stress Scale (COSS) was utilized to measure occupational stress. To analyze the association, weighted logistic regression models, restricted cubic splines (RCS), and subgroup analyses were conducted. Results The findings from the weighted logistic regression indicated that for each 1-point increase in OHL score, the likelihood of experiencing occupational stress decreased by 2%. Workers with a personal OHL score of 80% or higher exhibited a significantly reduced risk of occupational stress. The RCS analysis revealed a linear dose-response relationship between OHL and occupational stress. Furthermore, working hours emerged as a significant effect modifier, suggesting that longer working hours may amplify the relationship between OHL and occupational stress. Conclusion There exists a negative correlation between OHL and occupational stress, particularly evident among workers with extended working hours. Consequently, we advocate for the enhancement of OHL as a strategy to alleviate occupational stress.