Job satisfaction and work stress among physicians in Norway and Germany—A cross-sectional study

by Edgar Voltmer, Judith Rosta, Susen Köslich-Strumann, Katja Goetz

Physicians’ health and wellbeing are important albeit often neglected quality indicators of health care systems. The aims of the study were to compare job satisfaction and work stress among doctors in Germany and Norway, and to identify predictors for job satisfaction.

All active physicians in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany (N = 13,304) and a nationwide sample of Norwegian physicians (N = 2,316) were surveyed in a cross-sectional design in 2021. Response rates of German and Norwegian physicians were n = 4,385 (33%) and n = 1,639 (70.8%), respectively. In addition to age, sex, and work-hours, the main outcome measures were the validated Job Satisfaction Scale (JSS) and the short form of the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERI).

There were significant differences between Norwegian and German physicians in job satisfaction but with small effect sizes. All effort scores of German physicians were significantly higher and four of seven reward scores significantly lower than for their Norwegian colleagues. The proportion of German physicians in the state of a gratification crisis was significantly higher (67%) than in their Norwegian colleagues (53%). In both countries, physicians with a gratification crisis scored significantly lower on all items of job satisfaction. There were only minor gender differences in job satisfaction and effort-reward balance. Age, effort, and reward accounted for 46% of the explained variance of job satisfaction.

Lower job satisfaction and reward in some areas and higher perceived effort of physicians in Germany than in Norway are still in favor of Norwegian working conditions, but the differences seem to diminish. The high proportions of gratification crises in both countries warrants appropriate measures for prevention and health promotion.