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Open Access 01-12-2024 | Fatigue | Research

Behind the times? Associations of working-time autonomy with health-related and occupational outcomes in health care personnel– a latent profile analysis

Authors: Franziska U. Jung, Alexander Pabst, Margrit Löbner, Melanie Luppa, Steffi G. Riedel-Heller

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2024

Abstract

Background

In the light of personnel shortage, the health care sector is facing the challenge to combine increasing employees‘ as well as patients’ needs. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between working-time autonomy and health-related (fatigue, psychosomatic complaints and work ability), as well as occupational outcomes (job satisfaction and turnover intention) in a large sample of health care employees.

Method

Based on data of the BauA-Working Time survey, a sample of n = 1,093 employees working in the health care sector was analysed. Outcomes were assessed by the German Fatigue Scale, the Work Ability-Index and single-item measurements. Besides descriptive analyses, latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to determine clusters of employees based on working-time autonomy. Subsequently, regression analyses have been conducted to examine the association between autonomy clusters with health-related and occupational outcomes, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and employment status.

Results

LPA revealed that a three-cluster model was most suitable: high autonomy (cluster 1), medium autonomy (cluster 2) and low autonomy (cluster 3). The extracted profiles of working-time autonomy differed significantly in terms of sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, but not in terms of average working hours per week or monthly household income. The multivariate regression analysis revealed that being in the low-autonomy cluster was associated with more psychosomatic health complaints (IRR: 1.427, p = 0.008), lower work ability (OR 0.339, p < 0.001), as well as less job satisfaction (OR 0.216, p < 0.001).

Discussion

Overall, the analyses indicate that it is crucial to prospectively consider working-time autonomy as an important factor of satisfaction, well-being and turnover intention in health care employees.

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Title: Behind the times? Associations of working-time autonomy with health-related and occupational outcomes in health care personnel– a latent profile analysis
Authors: Franziska U. Jung
Alexander Pabst
Margrit Löbner
Melanie Luppa
Steffi G. Riedel-Heller
Publication date: 01-12-2024
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keyword: Fatigue
Published in: BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2024
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18289-0

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Springer Medicine

Behind the times? Associations of working-time autonomy with health-related and occupational outcomes in health care personnel– a latent profile analysis

Abstract

Background

Method

Results

Discussion

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Method

Results

Discussion

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