Job satisfaction among health care workers: the role of gender and age

• Published in: Revista latino-americana de enfermagem Vol. 21; no. 6; pp. 1314 - 1320
• Main Authors: Carrillo-García, César, Solano-Ruíz, María del Carmen, Martínez-Roche, María Emilia, Gómez-García, Carmen Isabel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto / Universidade de São Paulo 01.12.2013; Universidade de São Paulo
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Distribución por Edad y Sexo; Female; Grupos Profesionales; Hospitales Universitarios; Humans; Job Satisfaction; Male; Middle Aged; NURSING; Personnel, Hospital - psychology; Satisfacción en el Trabajo; Sex Factors; Young Adult; Occupational Groups; Distribución por Edad y Sexo; Satisfação no Emprego; Hospitais Universitários; Satisfacción en el Trabajo; Categorias de Trabalhadores; Hospitales Universitarios; Hospitals University; Distribuição por Idade e Sexo; Grupos Profesionales; Age and Sex Distribution; Job Satisfaction
• ISSN: 0104-1169; 1518-8345; 1518-8345; 0104-1169
• DOI: 10.1590/0104-1169.3224.2369

to analyze the influence of gender and age on the quality of the professional lives of health care professionals at a university hospital. a total of 546 professionals completed a general questionnaire that measured sociodemographic variables and evaluated job satisfaction using a scale adopted from the NTP 394 Job Satisfaction scale and translated into Spanish. overall, 77.2% of the professionals surveyed were satisfied with the work they perform. With regards to gender, we found overwhelming evidence of the feminization of practically all health care professions included in the study, with higher levels of job satisfaction among women than men. Regarding age, 20-30-year-olds and professionals over 61 years old showed higher satisfaction levels than did middle-aged professionals. Higher levels of dissatisfaction were reported by professionals between 41 and 50 years old. we were able to detect the influence of gender and age on the level of job satisfaction, finding significant associations between job satisfaction and both of these variables. Generally, women expressed more satisfaction than men, and elderly professionals showed higher satisfaction compared to younger professionals. Management policies should focus on taking action to correct the conditions that produce dissatisfaction among certain groups of employees.