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Embryologists’ health: a nationwide online questionnaire

2014; Springer Science+Business Media; Volume: 31; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/s10815-014-0352-7

1573-7330

Blanca López-Lería, Pilar Jimena, Ana Clavero, M. Carmen Gonzálvo, Socorro Carrillo, María José Serrano, M. Luisa López-Regalado, Carmen Olvera, L Martínez, José Antonio Castilla,

Occupational health in dentistry

The present study evaluates health status and its relation with occupational characteristics and with burnout syndrome among embryologists.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.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.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.