الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Job Satisfaction can be described as a pleasant or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experiences. Job satisfaction is important as it affects not only one’s job productivity and performance, but also contributes to better quality of life, in general. Job satisfaction is a multidimensional construct which is influenced by three primary factors; practice related characteristics, worker characteristics and non-work factors. First, work characteristics, and those include both, actual and perceived features of the job, as well as its rewards representing the overall satisfaction dimensions. These dimensions include work conditions, delivery of patient care, time to develop professionally, professional relations, patient relations, practice management, professional environment, stress, income and respect. Second, worker characteristics or dentist’s attributes which include demographic characteristics such as age, gender, marital status, personality characteristics as well as emotional status and third, non work factors which are related to quality of life, personal time and social relations. The current study adopted a cross sectional analytical design to measure the level of total job satisfaction among a sample of dentists working in the different health facilities of the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP), in Alexandria, as well as to assess the association of work environment factors, worker characteristics and non-work related factors to job satisfaction among those dentists. The total number of dentists working in the different health districts of Alexandria governorate (1970 dentists) was obtained from the directorate of health affairs. A minimal sample size of 356 dentists was estimated to be representative of the whole MOHP dentists’ force, in Alexandria, Egypt. Then, a proportional allocation sample was taken from each 64 district. A list was made containing all governmental healthcare facilities, from which, settings were randomly selected until the predetermined sample size was reached. Data were collected in six months period from, October 2019 to March 2020. The initially approached sample consisted of 400 dentists, only 361 dentists agreed to complete the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 90.25%. A previously validated questionnaire modified from the Dentists Satisfaction Survey (DSS), and tested in Saudi Arabia, was used for the study and pilot tested to ensure clarity and consistency of the questions. The questionnaire consisted of two main sections, the first section was concerned with the demographic, personal and practice related variables of the participants, whereas the second section consisted of 29 items formulated as statements of opinion; seven items to measure the factor of overall professional satisfaction and 22 items to measure the work environment factors including quality of care, dentist-patient relation, staff performance, professional development time, monetary satisfaction as well as personal time. Another item was added from the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) concerning the physical work environment. Most of the sample participants were females (73.1%), married (58.2%) and between 30 to 39 years of age (42.2%). Regarding practice related characteristics, the greatest number of respondents had a bachelor degree as the highest scientific degree (69.3%), were general practitioners, practicing dentistry for 10 years and more (47.4%) and work fulltime (36hrs/week) (79.2%). The majority of the respondents (80.1%) had dental assistant in the clinic and about 60.4% did not have a private practice. Around 70% work in family health units and centers. Regarding the mean job satisfaction scores and distribution of satisfaction levels for the different satisfaction dimensions among the study participants; dentist-patient relation, staff performance as well as quality of care delivered were the most satisfying dimensions (3.49±0.59, 3.29±0.68 and 3.11±0.66, respectively) whereas, income, physical work environment and 65 personal time were the least satisfying dimensions (2.13±0.74, 2.38±1.19 and 2.80±0.99, respectively). The total mean job satisfaction was neutral among the present study participants. Concerning the relation between the total mean job satisfaction and the sociodemographics as well as practice related variables; the highest satisfaction scores were reported by older dentists between 40-50 years of age (3.12±0.44), dentists with diploma as the highest scientific degree (3.07±0.41), freshly employed dentists with 1-3 years of practice (2.97±0.35), in addition to dentists working with dental assistants (2.96±0.39). The sociodemographics, practice-related factors along with job satisfaction dimensions were entered into a regression model in order to explain the total job satisfaction. The regression model revealed that overall job satisfaction, perception of income as well as personal time are the most significant predictors of job satisfaction among the current study participants. Results of the present study might provide guidance to policy makers in formulating and implementing plans to improve job satisfaction through defining the standards of dental care quality, improving dentists’ compensation packages and enhancing appropriate working environment for dentists working in the MOHP. |