Objective To investigate the current status of occupational stress and its influencing factors among dental healthcare workers in Qingpu District, Shanghai, providing a scientific basis for developing effective intervention strategies to promote occupational health in this population.

Methods A stratified cluster sampling method was used to recruit 495 dental healthcare workers from medical institutions in Qingpu District during October and November 2024. Participants' demographic characteristics, work and lifestyle information were collected, while the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) was used to assess insomnia status and the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) Index was employed to evaluate occupational stress. A multivariate logistic regression model was applied to identify the factors associated with high occupational stress.

Results A total of 449 questionnaires were collected, with a valid response rate of 90.71%. Insomnia was detected in 248 participants (55.23%), and 153 individuals (34.1%) exhibited high occupational stress. Logistic regression analysis revealed that working in private institutions was associated with a lower risk of high occupational stress compared to public institutions (OR = 0.197, 95%CI: 0.068 to 0.572). Participants who exercised at least once or three times a week had a lower risk of high occupational stress compared to those without regular exercise habits (OR = 0.538, 95%CI: 0.311 to 0.928; OR = 0.265, 95%CI: 0.129 to 0.546, respectively). Those with insomnia had a higher risk of high occupational stress compared to those without insomnia (OR = 1.992, 95%CI: 1.178 to 3.370). Additionally, participants working more than 8 hours per day on average had a higher risk than those with average daily working hours ≤ 8 h (OR = 1.967, 95%CI: 1.208 to 3.205).

Conclusions Occupational stress among dental healthcare workers in Qingpu District was a prominent problem. Effective measures, such as optimizing shift schedules, promoting healthy lifestyles, and encouraging regular physical activity, should be implemented to reduce occupational stress and safeguard the physical and mental health of this workforce.