Fatores que influenciam na qualidade de vida dos agentes comunitários de saúde

Healthcare Practitioners' Quality of Life in Rural and Urban Areas of Saudi Arabia

INTRODUCTION

The quality of care delivered by healthcare practitioners (HCPs) is crucial in promoting optimal health and quality of life (QOL) for a population. To achieve this, understanding the factors that affect the quality of life of healthcare practitioners is essential for governments to develop sustainable healthcare systems. Developed countries have a major role to play in this aspect, as the misallocation of healthcare providers to the wrong geographic regions can significantly impact their performance.  Aim: This study aims to evaluate the factors associated with healthcare practitioners' (HCP) quality of life (QOL) and provide workforce planning with knowledge of the level of QOL among HCPs and its factors in Saudi Arabia in 2021.

METHODS

This is an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in both rural and urban areas of Saudi Arabia. The study population includes all healthcare practitioners practicing in Saudi Arabia. A probability-stratified random sampling technique was used to recruit healthcare practitioners into the study, with a requirement of at least 380 practitioners to achieve 95% confidence and a 5% margin of error. To assess the quality of life of healthcare practitioners in Saudi Arabia, the study used a national online self-administered questionnaire that was designed by the research team. The data collection process took place from June 2021 to October 2021, and responses were obtained randomly. For analysis, the study used descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentages, mean or median, and standard deviation or interquartile range. The statistical significance was set at p<0.05, and independent sample T-tests and Chi-square tests were calculated to determine any significant differences between groups.

RESULTS

A total of 439 participants completed the questionnaire and were included in the final analysis. The participants had a mean age of 38.8 years (SD = 10.173), with 232 (52.8%) male and 207 (47.2%) female. Regarding marital status, 28% were single, 68.6% were married, and 3.4% were divorced or widowed. The prevalence of chronic diseases in the cohort was 9.1%, with hypertension being the most commonly reported. Of the participants, 362 (82.5%) were living in a society considered urban, while 77 (17.5%) were living in rural areas. Urban healthcare practitioners expressed higher levels of satisfaction with safety and security, internet availability and speed, and city infrastructure compared to their rural counterparts. However, rural practitioners reported greater satisfaction with the cost of living, and transportation quality was a point of concern for both groups.

CONCLUSION

The study shows that people living in urban and rural areas are all satisfied with their living conditions based on many factors mentioned in the results section. This indicates that there is no significant difference. The most important factor that affects satisfaction with living is health status. The rate of satisfaction is very high for all factors, including security and safety, environmental health, city infrastructure, cost of living, internet availability, and sports activity-all of which are related to the city itself. For factors related to the individual, such as emotional support from family and friends, personal relationships, overall health, and body appearance, the rate of satisfaction is also high.

[Work context and the occupational health cost for community health workers]

The scope of this study was to evaluate the work context and the occupational health cost among Community Health Workers (CHWs). It is a cross-sectional, census study, using a socioeconomic questionnaire, the Work Context Assessment Scale (WCAS) and the Human Cost at Work Scale (HCWS), which make up the Inventory of Work and Illness Risk (IWIR). Descriptive analyses of mean factor scores were performed and comparison of means between items and sociodemographic characteristics of the group, through Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis's tests with a 5% significance level. A total of 675 CHWs participated in the study. All factors related to working conditions and human cost at work presented a moderate/critical evaluation. Age, length of service and employment ties were variables associated with all factors of WCAS, while only length of service was associated with all factors for CHWs. More negative assessments of the work context and the occupational health cost were more evident among CHWs with longer experience. The results highlight the need to improve working conditions and professional relationships related to CHW.

Elaboration and Content Validity of an instrument on the activities of Community Health Workers

Abstract Objective to develop and validate the content and appearance of an instrument to identify activities performed by community health workers in Family Health Strategy. Method this is a methodological study composed of three stages: the first was the elaboration of the instrument based on a literature review, the second consisted of content validity by ten expert judges, and the third by apparent validity by the target population. For analysis, the content validity index was calculated. Results Initially, the instrument consisted of 45 items arranged in ten dimensions. The experts analyzed and suggested modification of terms and addition and dismemberment of items. All suggestions were accepted, and the final version of the instrument consisted of 60 items. The content validity index was ≥ 0.90 for all items. The instrument covered the activities recommended by ministerial regulations and activities that are outside the scope of action, but which are present in the practice of the community health workers. Conclusion and implications for practice The instrument presented satisfactory validity and reflected the reality of the community health workers, and its items are composed of the wide range of activities developed by these professionals.

Elaboração e Validação de Conteúdo de um instrumento sobre as atividades dos Agentes Comunitários de Saúde

Resumo Objetivo elaborar e conduzir a validação de conteúdo e de aparência de um instrumento para identificação das atividades desempenhadas pelos agentes comunitários de saúde na Estratégia Saúde da Família. Método trata-se de um estudo metodológico composto por três etapas: a primeira foi a elaboração do instrumento a partir da revisão de literatura; a segunda foi constituída pela validação de conteúdo por 10 juízes experts; e a terceira pela validação aparente pela população-alvo. Para a análise, calculou-se o Índice de Validade de Conteúdo. Resultados inicialmente, o instrumento foi composto por 45 itens dispostos em 10 dimensões. Os especialistas analisaram e sugeriram a modificação de termos e o acréscimo e o desmembramento de itens. Todas as sugestões foram acolhidas e a versão final do instrumento foi composta por 60 itens. O Índice de Validade de Conteúdo foi ≥ 0,90 para todos os itens. O instrumento abrangeu as atividades preconizadas pelas normativas ministeriais e pelas atribuições que fogem do escopo de atuação, mas que estão presentes na prática dos profissionais. Conclusão e implicações para a prática o instrumento apresentou validade satisfatória e refletiu a realidade do trabalho dos agentes comunitários de saúde, sendo seus itens compostos pela ampla gama de atividades desenvolvidas por esses profissionais.

Qualidade de Vida no Trabalho e nível de estresse dos profissionais da atenção primária

RESUMO Estudo com objetivo de avaliar a Qualidade de Vida no Trabalho (QVT) e o nível de estresse de trabalhadores da Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS) em uma cidade de tríplice fronteira. Trata-se de pesquisa transversal da qual participaram 120 profissionais da APS, que responderam a questionários sociodemográfico, ocupacional, de hábitos de vida, instrumento de QVT abreviado (QWLQ-Bref) e Escala do Estresse Percebido (PSS 13). Verificou-se associação da QVT e dos níveis de estresse com variáveis sociodemográficas e de estilo de vida com uso do teste t de Student, Anova, Mann-Whitney e Kruskal-Wallis. Em seguida, realizou-se regressão linear múltipla. Os resultados mostraram escore médio de QVT dos profissionais de 62,8±10,0 e escore médio de estresse percebido de 24,5±6,0. A variável satisfação com o trabalho se manteve estatisticamente associada à QVT global, com o domínio psicológico e o nível de estresse. A cor da pele e o sexo se associaram aos domínios pessoal e profissional da QVT, respectivamente. Conclui-se que a satisfação com o trabalho é um fator importante na determinação da melhor QVT e na proteção contra o estresse. Esses resultados apontam aspectos a serem considerados pelos serviços de saúde para melhor abordagem à saúde mental do trabalhador.