Job satisfaction of Spanish and Portuguese optometrists

• Cristina Alvarez-Peregrina ^[1] ; Alejandro Garcia de la Noceda ^{[2] [4]} ; Clara Martinez-Perez ^[3] ; Miguel Ángel Sánchez-Tena ^{[1] [3]}
  1. [1] Universidad Complutense de Madrid

     Universidad Complutense de Madrid

     Madrid, España

     
  2. [2] Universidad Europea de Madrid

     Universidad Europea de Madrid

     Madrid, España

     
  3. [3] Instituto Superior de Educação e Ciências

     Instituto Superior de Educação e Ciências

     Socorro, Portugal

     
  4. [4] Dive Medical SL, Zaragoza, Spain

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• Localización: Journal of Optometry: peer-reviewed Journal of the Spanish General Council of Optometry, ISSN-e 1888-4296, Vol. 17, Nº. 2, 2024
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Purpose Given the increase in demand for optometry services by society and the importance of the Optometry profession in Portugal and Spain, the objective of this study was to determine job satisfaction and important factors related to this satisfaction in a sample of Portuguese and Spanish optometrists.

    Methods A prospective, cross-sectional, and observational study was carried out from June to December 2021. An adaptation of the 15-item job satisfaction in eye-care personnel (JSEP) questionnaire validated by Paudel et al. was administered to Portuguese and Spanish optometrists. The questionnaire was shared through different social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, etc.) in a Google form during the months of June to December 2021 in Portugal and Spain.

    Results A total of 530 surveys were collected in Portugal (42.3%; n = 224) and Spain (57.7%; n = 306). The factors that most influence overall job satisfaction are salary, career development opportunities, recognition/prestige in society, good work-life balance (all p<0.001), workplace equipment and facilities, and encouragement reward positive feedback (both p = 0.002). When comparing the determinants of job satisfaction of optometrists, it was found that Portuguese professionals were generally more satisfied than Spanish ones (p<0.001). However, Spanish optometrists reported feeling more supported by their colleagues (p<0.001).

    Conclusion This study has shown that the level of job satisfaction was higher in Portugal than in Spain. The most important factors influencing job satisfaction were salary, job stability, and support from colleagues.