Determinants of Workplace Productivity Decline in the Tunisian Onshore Oil and Gas Industry

Background: This study explored the impact of occupational stress, personal factors, and physical conditions on work productivity decline (WPD) among workers in the Tunisian onshore oil and gas industry.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 246 onshore oil installation workers of a Tunisian private oil company. 94 employees (48%) participated in this study. We used the Job Content Questionnaire to evaluate occupational stress and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire to assess the WPD.

Results: Data were analysed using R software. This study exclusively included male workers, with an average age of 41.1 ± 9.5 years. Binary logistic regression analysis identified low social support and job-strain situation as the most associated risk factors (OR >3). The random forest model suggested that professional category, job-strain situation, low social support, and iso-strain situation were the most important variables in predicting WPD.

Conclusion: These data provided evidence that petroleum workers faced a monotonous lifestyle in the workplace, leading to high levels of occupational stress that affected their work productivity. This study is the first in Tunisia in the oil sector.