Embryologists' health: a nationwide online questionnaire.
J Assist Reprod Genet 2014;
31:1587-97. [PMID:
25284212 DOI:
10.1007/s10815-014-0352-7]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE
The present study evaluates health status and its relation with occupational characteristics and with burnout syndrome among embryologists.
METHODS
A cross-sectional design was used to conduct an online self-assessment survey, sent to all members of the Spanish Association of Clinical Embryologists. The questionnaire contained occupational questions and two standard instruments: 'Short Form-12 Health Survey' as a measure of physical (PCS-12) and mental (MCS-12) health and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) to evaluate the degree of burnout.
RESULTS
The PCS-12 obtained for the Spanish embryologists was higher than that for the reference population. However, the total MCS-12 was significantly lower than that observed in non-institutionalised males and females representative of the general Spanish population aged 35-44 years. In the linear regression model, the dependent variable PCS-12 was related indirectly with the variables number of hours worked per week, BMI, back pain, leg pain and visual discomfort. In the linear regression model, the dependent variable MCS-12 was indirectly related to the gender (male reference; female coefficient regression: -3.23), exhaustion and cynicism dimensions of the MBI-GS. A total of 87 (36.3%) embryologists presented a high score on at least one of the MBI-GS dimensions.
CONCLUSION
In this sample of Spanish embryologists, a norm measure (SF-12) showed their physical health to be better than the average for the general population, but that their mental health was poorer. A significant indirect relation was observed between mental health and burnout syndrome. Strategies to reduce occupational stress and problems should form part of the training provided for clinical embryologists.
Collapse