Job satisfaction and stress among MCH physicians in Alexandria.

Physician satisfaction with their job is a topic of importance to physicians in practice, physicians in training, health administrators, and health executives. Stress among physicians arises due to inadequate demands of the job in relation to worker's abilities, frustrated aspirations, and dissatisfaction with regard to aimed goals. The cross-sectional study design was conducted at 7 randomly selected Maternal and Child Health (MCH) centres, affiliated to seven medical zones in Alexandria. The study sample consisted of all physicians working at the studied MCH centres. A questionnaire designed for data collection was distributed to all physicians available and who accepted to participate in the study. The questionnaire included 4 sections measuring, socio-demographic characteristics, overall satisfaction and global satisfaction, an eight-dimension satisfaction scale, and a four-dimension stress scale. The questionnaire was distributed to 100 physicians out of whom 77% responded. Satisfaction scale was on a scale ranging from 6 (greatly satisfied) to 1 (greatly dissatisfied). Stress was on a scale ranging from 6 (greatly stressed) to 1 (greatly unstressed). The total mean satisfaction score for the sample under study was 3.3 +/- 0.6 with a significant difference among zones (F = 4.4, p < 0.05), and the total mean stress score for the sample under study was 3.8 +/- 0.7 with a significant difference among zones (F = 2.4, p < 0.05). It is recommended that decision makers at the MOHP find ways to raise the physicians' pay, efficient planning of resources, and find opportunities for future promotion.