--- title: Does job stress affect periods and hormone levels in female workers? description: Women with higher job stress had more period problems and some hormone changes, with longer work hours linked to lower estrogen levels. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/effect-of-occupational-stress-on-menses-and-sex-hormones-of-female-knitting-2009/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does job stress affect periods and hormone levels in female workers? Survey study, 2009 # Does job stress affect periods and hormone levels in female workers? Women with higher job stress had more period problems and some hormone changes, with longer work hours linked to lower estrogen levels. Early or limited evidence 415 female knitting workers ## What they did Researchers studied 415 female knitting workers. They measured job stress using a standard questionnaire. They collected blood samples to measure 6 sex hormones. They compared menstrual problems and hormone levels between groups with different levels of stress, depression, and work hours. ## What they found 36.24% of workers had abnormal menstruation overall, including 19.80% with abnormal blood volume, 14.43% with abnormal cycle length, and 11.41% with abnormal period length. 29.19% had premenstrual syndrome and 1.01% had painful periods. Women with more depression had higher rates of menstrual disorders. Women working longer hours had lower estrogen levels and more abnormal periods. More job demands were linked to higher FSH levels and lower testosterone. Physical symptoms, lack of control over resources, and negative life events were identified as risk factors for menstrual disorders. ## What it means for you Job stress appears to affect women's periods through multiple pathways including depression, work hours, and hormone changes. The hormone changes suggest stress affects the reproductive system directly. The study looked only at workers in one industry in one country, so results may not apply to other workers. 36.24% had abnormal menstruation 29.19% had premenstrual syndrome 415 workers studied ## About the study Original title [Effect of occupational stress on menses and sex hormones of female knitting workers] Authors Yao SQ, Wu QF, Yang JY et al. Journal Zhonghua lao dong wei sheng zhi ye bing za zhi = Zhonghua laodong weisheng zhiyebing zazhi = Chinese journal of industrial hygiene and occupational diseases Year 2009 Study design Survey study Participants 415 Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21141127/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21141127/) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 1998 How common is PMS in women of reproductive age and what factors increase the risk? Cohort study, 2025 How common is PMS in Chinese teenage girls, and what factors are linked to it? Randomised trial, 2024 Does curcumin reduce depression, anxiety, and stress in women with PMS and dysmenorrhea? Survey study, 2026 Does exercise help college women with period problems and mental health? Survey study, 2026 How common is PMDD among college women and what increases the risk? Survey study, 2025 Do adverse childhood experiences increase PMS and menstrual symptoms in adulthood? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗