engleski

Socio-Demographic Variables and Work Ability among Croatian Healthcare Workers

Description of the problem: Increasingly, healthcare workers presentpsychological work-related complaints, endangering their work abilityand causing considerable economic losses. Work ability shows a generaldecreasing trend over years, but it changes differently accordingto working conditions and personal health status. The relation betweensocio-demographic factors and work ability of healthcare workers hasnot yet been studied in countries in transition. Objectives: To determine the relation between socio-demographic variablesand work ability among healthcare workers. Methodology: Data were gathered from 1487 healthcare workers (395physicians ; 1092 nurses) registered at 4 Croatian University hospitals ina cross-sectional design. Work ability was assessed using the Work AbilityIndex (WAI) Questionnaire. The differences were analyzed by t-test, ANCOVA and 2-test. A WAI score over 37 correlated with satisfactory work ability. Results: Marital status, gender, number of children and occupation were analyzed for possible association with work ability. Analysis of marital status revealed that 67.3% of physicians and 62.7% of nurses were married. Significantly more physicians lived in a partnership than alone: 69.5% and 30.5% respectively (2 &#8211; test ; p=0.003). The same trend was present among nurses, yet the difference was insignificant. Furthermore, WAI scores were significantly higher among nurses who lived alone (39.63&#177; 5.79) than among those who lived in a partnership (37.46&#177; 6.38) ; t-test ; p<0.001. Physicians living alone had higher WAI scores than their colleagues living in a partnership, but the difference was insignificant. Males had significantly higher WAI scores than females, both among physicians (40.23&#177; 5.50 vs. 39.08&#177; 6.49 ; p=0.026) and among nurses (40.65&#177; 5.74 ; 37.98&#177; 6.27 ; p<0.001). Additionally, all healthcare workers without children had greater WAI scores than those having children (39.68&#177; 5.86 vs. 37.84&#177; 6.38 ; t-test ; p<0.001). Physicians had significantly greater WAI scores than nurses (39.59&#177; 6.08 vs.38.17&#177; 6.26 ; ANCOVA ; p<0.001). Conclusion: Since partnership and children impede the work ability of healthcare workers, they need support either from the society or from their hospital.

healthcare workers; work ability; occupational stress

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