Logo image
Association between work-related stress and self-rated health among artisanal and small-scale miners in Ghana: a two-way serial mediation analysis
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Association between work-related stress and self-rated health among artisanal and small-scale miners in Ghana: a two-way serial mediation analysis

Emmanuel Nyaaba, Pius W. Kudeto, Thomas A. Awine, Philip Kwarteng, Gadafi Aliu, Kabila Abass and Razak M. Gyasi
Discover public health, Vol.22(1), pp.1-17
03/09/2025
pdf
Association between work-related stress and self-rated health1.33 MBDownloadView
Published (Version of record)CC BY-NC-ND V4.0 Open Access
url
Association between work-related stress and self-rated healthView
Published (Version of record)CC BY-NC-ND V4.0 Open

Related links

Metrics

100 File views/ downloads
5 Record Views

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#1 No Poverty

Source: InCites

Abstract

Ghana mental health disorders self-rated health small-scale miners work-related stress
Self-rated health (SRH) is a significant public health concern among informal workers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), yet limited research has explored the psychological mechanisms underlying its association with work-related stress (WRS). This study investigated the serial mediating roles of anxiety and depression in the relationship between WRS and poor SRH among small-scale miners in Ghana. We analyzed data from 664 miners (mean age = 28.8, SD = 8.2; 84.3% male) using validated measures: the 4-item Job Content Questionnaire for WRS, the MOS SF-36 for SRH, the PHQ-9 for depression, and the GAD-7 for anxiety. All scales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (α = 0.75–0.83). We applied bootstrapping techniques using Hayes’ PROCESS macro to test the hypothesized serial mediation model. WRS was significantly associated with poor SRH (B = 0.771, 95%CI 0.575, 0.967). Importantly, WRS indirectly predicted SRH through three significant mediating pathways. Anxiety accounted for 35.41% (B = 0.273, 95% CI 0.189, 0.357) and depression for 11.67% (B = 0.090, 95% CI 0.036, 0.160), and the combined anxiety-depression pathway for 12.06% (B = 0.093, 95% CI 0.041, 0.155) of the total effect. The overall mediating effect was 59.14%. These findings indicate that the link between WRS and poor health is both directly and serially mediated by mental health challenges. Interventions aimed at improving health outcomes in informal mining contexts should prioritize strategies that address both anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Details

Logo image