Work-related Quality of Life and Its Associated Factors Among House Officers Working at Two Hospitals in Selangor

@#Introduction: Mental health-related problems are on the rise among medical doctors, with many house officers (HOs) have quitted training prematurely owing to work and life-related factors. However, the quality of work-life (QOWL) among Malaysian HOs remains unknown. Hence, we aimed to determine the mean score of QOWL and its predictors among HOs working at two tertiary hospitals. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted at two tertiary hospitals in Selangor, between May and August 2019. A stratified random sampling was employed. The Malay version of work-related quality of life scale (M-WRQLS-2) and the patient health questionnaire (M-PHQ-9) were used for data collection. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS version 23.0 (IBM, Chicago, IL). Results: A total of 260 (72.9%) respondents completed the questionnaires. The overall score of QOWL was 3.05 ± 0.48 (95% CI: 2.99, 3.11). Depressed HOs had a significantly lower mean score across all subscales (p < 0.005) except for the stress at work (SAW) subscale. Two predictors were inversely associated with QOWL. These were the M-PHQ-9 score [β= -0.049,95% CI: -0.06, -0.04] and being female [β=-0.129,95% CI: -0.24, -0.02]. Conclusion: HOs who worked at the two hospitals in Selangor perceived their overall QOWL as average. However, being female and having depression were found to be associated with lower QOWL. Therefore, early interventions targeting female HOs and those with depressive symptoms are warranted. Further research and strategies aiming to improve the overall quality of work-life and its dimensions for HOs during housemanship training are vital.

Validation of the Thai Version of a Work-related Quality of Life Scale in the Nursing Profession

BACKGROUND: Currently available questionnaires for evaluating the quality of worklife do not fully examine every factor related to worklife in all cultures. A tool in Thai is therefore needed for the direct evaluation of the quality of worklife. Our aim was to translate the Work-related Quality of Life Scale-2 (WRQLS-2) into Thai, to assess the validity and reliability of the Thai-translated version, and to examine the tool's accuracy vis-a-vis nursing in Thailand. METHODS: This was a descriptive correlation study. Forward and backward translations were performed to develop a Thai version of the WRQLS. Six nursing experts participated in assessing content validity and 374 registered nurses (RNs) participated in its testing. After a 2-week interval, 67 RNs were retested. Structural validity was examined using principal components analysis. The Cronbach's alpha values were calculated. The respective independent sample t test and intraclass correlation coefficient were used to analyze known-group validity and test-retest reliability. Multistate sampling was used to select 374 RNs from the In- and Outpatient Department of Srinagarind Hospital of the Khon Kaen University (Khon Kaen, Thailand). RESULTS: The content validity index of the scale was 0.97. Principal components analysis resulted in a seven-factor model, which explains 59% of the total variance. The overall Cronbach's alpha value was 0.925, whereas the subscales ranged between 0.67 and 0.82. In the assessment results, the known-group validity was established for the difference between civil servants and university employees [F (7.982, 0.005) and t (3.351; p < 0.05)]. Civil servants apparently had a better quality worklife, compared to university employees. Good test-retest reliability was observed (r = 0.892, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The Thai version of a WRQLS appears to be well validated and practicable for determining the quality of the work-life among nurses in Thailand.

A Quality of Worklife : A Study of the Perceptions of University Foodservice Employees

The purposes of this research were to assess the quality of worklife of university foodservice managers and workers by operation type, and to investigate the characteristics of demographic variables in university foodservice employees. A questionnaire was administered to 27 managers and 180 personnels who are working in 9 university foodservice facilities. And 21 managers and 160 workers were responded with a response rate of 78% and 89%, respectively. Statistical data analysis was completed using the SPSS programs for descriptive analysis, ANOVA, T-test and SNK test. The results of this study can be summarized as follows : 1. Almost all respondents were female(87%), 40.5 percent of the respondents were between 40 to 49 years of age, 42.9 percent of the respondents had been in their current job between 2 to 5 years, and 55.2 percent of the respondents eamed pays between 500,000won to 800,000won per month, Only 42.6% percent of the respondents were full-time employee. 2. The mean scores for the quality of worklife was 3.07 on a 5-point scales of 1=disagree very much and 5 = agree very much. 3. Factors receiving the higher ratings included "optimum levels of work variety"(3.83), "positive attitude toward work"(4.14), and "cooperative relationship with coworkers"(4.22). But respondents were least satisfied with "promotion"(2.07), "temperature of workplace"(2.17) "rest time"(2.25), and "pay"(2.28) factors. 4. There was a significant difference in the perception of the quality of worklife according to the operation type(self-operated, contracted, and rented management), but no difference was noted by position(managers vs workers) Results can be user to develop intervention and training strategies for enhancing positive attitude and the quality of work of employees.