Development of the set of scales to assess the job satisfaction among physicians in Peru: validity and reliability assessment

Abstract

Background To assess the validity and reliability of the set of scales (general professional activity, health services management, and working conditions) on the different areas of job satisfaction in Peruvian physicians based on the data from the National Survey of Satisfaction of Users in Health (ENSUSALUD). Method We carried out a psychometric study based on the secondary data analysis of Questionnaire 2 of ENSUSALUD-2016. Participants were selected from a two-stage stratified national probability representative sampling by political region. Validity was assessed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and measurement invariance analysis. We assessed the reliability using internal consistency coefficients (alpha and omega). The set of scales were composed of items related to three different areas of job satisfaction: 1) satisfaction with general professional activity, 2) satisfaction with the health services management, and 3) satisfaction with the working conditions of the health center. Results We included 2137 participants in the analysis. The general professional activity scale with six items (Comparative Fit Index, CFI = 0.946; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation, RMSEA = 0.071; Standardized Root Mean Square Residual, SRMR = 0.035), the health services management scale with eight items (CFI) = 0.972; RMSEA = 0.081; SRMR = 0.028), showed good measurement properties for the one-dimensional model. The working conditions scale with eight items for individual conditions and three items for infrastructural conditions (CFI = 0.914; RMSEA = 0.080; SRMR = 0.055) presented adequate measurement properties with a two-dimensional model. The invariance analysis showed that comparisons between sex, age, civil status, medical speciality, working in other institutions, work-related illness, chronic disease, and time working in the healthcare center. All scales had adequate internal consistency (ω and α between 0.70 and 0.90). Conclusions The set of scales has a solid factorial structure and measurement invariance, making it possible for group comparison. The study achieved stability in the scores as they showed adequate internal consistency coefficients. Based on our findings, these instruments are suitable for measuring job satisfaction among outpatient physicians throughout Peru, as our data is representative of the country level.

Relationship between job satisfaction, burnout syndrome and depressive symptoms in physicians: a cross-sectional study based on the employment demand–control model using structural equation modelling

“…The invariance of measurement was achieved for civil status, having a chronic disease and people who had a work-related disease. 40 …”

“…The invariance of measurement was achieved regarding sex, age, marital status, medical specialty, working in more than one institution, working time and work-related chronic illness. 40 …”

“…These were General Professional Activity, Health Services Management and Working Conditions of the Healthcare Centre . These scales presented adequate psychometric properties and were validated in an earlier study that used physicians’ data from ENSUSALUD 2016 40. Job satisfaction was measured on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5 (5=very satisfied; 4=satisfied; 3=neither satisfied nor dissatisfied; 2=dissatisfied; 1=very dissatisfied).…”

“…Furthermore, the test had a high level of reliability (α=0.70; ω=0.70). The invariance of measurement was achieved for civil status, having a chronic disease and people who had a work-related disease 40…”

Validation of the medium and short version of CENSOPAS-COPSOQ: a psychometric study in the Peruvian population

“…The CENSOPAS-COPSOQ could be used to evaluate the effect of organizational or labor interventions since it would allow seeing if the safety and risk management strategies applied in the workplace have a positive or protective effect on the health of the workers, by carrying out evaluations before and after the interventions. Therefore, the CENSOPAS-COPSOQ joins other instruments adopted in the Peruvian context to evaluate labor aspects in public health [ 37 , 38 ].…”