الفهرس 
AIM OF THE WORKOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Job Satisfaction can be described as a pleasant or positive emotional state resulting from
the appraisal of one’s job or job experiences. Job satisfaction is important as it affects not only
one’s job productivity and performance, but also contributes to better quality of life, in general.
Job satisfaction is a multidimensional construct which is influenced by three primary factors;
practice related characteristics, worker characteristics and non-work factors. First, work
characteristics, and those include both, actual and perceived features of the job, as well as its
rewards representing the overall satisfaction dimensions. These dimensions include work
conditions, delivery of patient care, time to develop professionally, professional relations,
patient relations, practice management, professional environment, stress, income and respect.
Second, worker characteristics or dentist’s attributes which include demographic
characteristics such as age, gender, marital status, personality characteristics as well as
emotional status and third, non work factors which are related to quality of life, personal time
and social relations. The current study adopted a cross sectional analytical design to measure
the level of total job satisfaction among a sample of dentists working in the different health
facilities of the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP), in Alexandria, as well as to
assess the association of work environment factors, worker characteristics and non-work
related factors to job satisfaction among those dentists.
The total number of dentists working in the different health districts of Alexandria
governorate (1970 dentists) was obtained from the directorate of health affairs. A minimal
sample size of 356 dentists was estimated to be representative of the whole MOHP dentists’
force, in Alexandria, Egypt. Then, a proportional allocation sample was taken from each
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district. A list was made containing all governmental healthcare facilities, from which,
settings were randomly selected until the predetermined sample size was reached.
Data were collected in six months period from, October 2019 to March 2020. The
initially approached sample consisted of 400 dentists, only 361 dentists agreed to complete
the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 90.25%. A previously validated questionnaire
modified from the Dentists Satisfaction Survey (DSS), and tested in Saudi Arabia, was used
for the study and pilot tested to ensure clarity and consistency of the questions.
The questionnaire consisted of two main sections, the first section was concerned with the
demographic, personal and practice related variables of the participants, whereas the second
section consisted of 29 items formulated as statements of opinion; seven items to measure the
factor of overall professional satisfaction and 22 items to measure the work environment factors
including quality of care, dentist-patient relation, staff performance, professional development
time, monetary satisfaction as well as personal time. Another item was added from the
Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) concerning the physical work environment.
Most of the sample participants were females (73.1%), married (58.2%) and between 30 to
39 years of age (42.2%). Regarding practice related characteristics, the greatest number of
respondents had a bachelor degree as the highest scientific degree (69.3%), were general
practitioners, practicing dentistry for 10 years and more (47.4%) and work fulltime (36hrs/week)
(79.2%). The majority of the respondents (80.1%) had dental assistant in the clinic and about
60.4% did not have a private practice. Around 70% work in family health units and centers.
Regarding the mean job satisfaction scores and distribution of satisfaction levels for the
different satisfaction dimensions among the study participants; dentist-patient relation, staff
performance as well as quality of care delivered were the most satisfying dimensions (3.49±0.59,
3.29±0.68 and 3.11±0.66, respectively) whereas, income, physical work environment and
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personal time were the least satisfying dimensions (2.13±0.74, 2.38±1.19 and 2.80±0.99,
respectively). The total mean job satisfaction was neutral among the present study participants.
Concerning the relation between the total mean job satisfaction and the sociodemographics
as well as practice related variables; the highest satisfaction scores were
reported by older dentists between 40-50 years of age (3.12±0.44), dentists with diploma as
the highest scientific degree (3.07±0.41), freshly employed dentists with 1-3 years of practice
(2.97±0.35), in addition to dentists working with dental assistants (2.96±0.39). The sociodemographics,
practice-related factors along with job satisfaction dimensions were entered
into a regression model in order to explain the total job satisfaction. The regression model
revealed that overall job satisfaction, perception of income as well as personal time are the
most significant predictors of job satisfaction among the current study participants. Results of
the present study might provide guidance to policy makers in formulating and implementing
plans to improve job satisfaction through defining the standards of dental care quality,
improving dentists’ compensation packages and enhancing appropriate working environment
for dentists working in the MOHP.