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Quality of life and its influencing factors among medical professionals in China

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Abstract

Purpose

The present study is to evaluate quality of life (QOL) among Chinese medical professionals and explore its main influencing factors.

Methods

A total of 2,721 medical professionals were selected from two provinces by using stratified cluster sampling method. The Chinese version of Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) was used to measure QOL; Occupation Stress Inventory-Revised Edition (OSI-R) was used for occupational stress and coping resources. Other potential influencing factors for QOL were collected using a structured questionnaire. Multivariate analysis approach was applied to determine the influencing factors for QOL.

Results

QOL in the medical professionals was less desirable in comparison with the general population. Occupational stress, long working hour, occupation (being nurse), department (working in surgery) were unfavorable factors for PCS and MCS, and recreation, performance recognized, drinking and physical activity were protective factors for PCS, while rational coping, recreation, social support, performance recognized, drinking and physical activity were favorable factors for MCS.

Conclusions

The results suggest that occupational factors, behavioral factors and coping resources, as well as age, play significant roles in QOL in the medical professionals. Accordingly, interventional program designed to target relieving occupational stress, adjusting behavioral habits and increasing coping resources may be useful to improve QOL among medical professionals.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Talented Person Foundation from Science Technology Agency of Fujian Province of China (NO.2006F3056) and the Science Foundation of Education Office of Fujian Province of China (NO.JA07090).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China

    Siying Wu

  2. Department of Social Medicine, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China

    Wei Zhu

  3. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China

    Huangyuan Li

  4. School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 4/F, School of Public Health, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Ignatius Tak-Sun Yu, Xiaorong Wang & Shujuan Yang

  5. Fujian Center for Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases and Chemical Poisoning, Fuzhou, Fujian, China

    Sihao Lin

Authors
  1. Siying Wu
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  2. Wei Zhu
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  3. Huangyuan Li
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  4. Ignatius Tak-Sun Yu
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  5. Sihao Lin
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  6. Xiaorong Wang
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Correspondence to Xiaorong Wang.

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Wu, S., Zhu, W., Li, H. et al. Quality of life and its influencing factors among medical professionals in China. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 83, 753–761 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-009-0496-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-009-0496-4

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