The prevalence of effort-reward imbalance and its associations with working conditions, psychosocial resources and burden among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of the egePan-Voice study

Beschoner P, Jerg-Bretzke L, Erim Y, Geiser F, Baranowski AM, Weidner K, Albus C, Schug C, Limbrecht-Ecklundt K, Weimer K, Jarczok MN, Kempf M, Gündel H, Morawa E (2023)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2023

Journal

PLoS ONE Public Library of Science

Book Volume: 18

Pages Range: e0287509-

Journal Issue: 8

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287509

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The association between a measure of effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and profession as well as gender in a sample of health care workers (HCW) during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany using the egePan-Voice study. In addition, we examined, which factors are associated with an effort-reward imbalance ratio (ERI ratio) >1. METHODS: In a large sample of HCW (N = 6174) we assessed occupational stress with the short version of the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) questionnaire, working conditions, COVID-19-related problems and psychosocial resources (ENRICHD Social Support Inventory, ESSI; Sense of Coherence Scale, SOC-3 and optimism, SOP2). RESULTS: The prevalence of a ERI ratio >1 among HCW was 50.9%. The prevalence's of an ERI ratio >1 were statistically significant different between gender as well as the occupational profession. The proportion of women (51.8%) with ERI ratio >1 was significantly higher than among men (47.8%). The highest ERI imbalance was found among nurses (62.8%), followed by medical technical assistants (MTA) (58.8%), while psychologists/psychotherapists revealed the lowest value (37.8%), followed by physicians (41.8%). In the total sample, most essential factors reported at this time for increased ERI ratio were: insufficient staff for the current work load, insufficient recovery, feeling insufficiently protected by measures taken by the hospital/the employer, high occupancy rate of the wards, insufficient trust in colleagues and being a nurse as compared with being a physician. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate a high proportion of HCW with effort-reward imbalance and substantial profession-related differences. Preventive interventions should be offered to vulnerable groups among the HCW to decrease the imbalance measured by work stress.

Authors with CRIS profile

Yesim Erim Professur für Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie Caterina Schug Professur für Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie Eva Morawa Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy

Involved external institutions

Universitätsklinikum Ulm DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Bonn DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Köln DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Beschoner, P., Jerg-Bretzke, L., Erim, Y., Geiser, F., Baranowski, A.M., Weidner, K.,... Morawa, E. (2023). The prevalence of effort-reward imbalance and its associations with working conditions, psychosocial resources and burden among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of the egePan-Voice study. PLoS ONE, 18(8), e0287509-. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287509

MLA:

Beschoner, Petra, et al. "The prevalence of effort-reward imbalance and its associations with working conditions, psychosocial resources and burden among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of the egePan-Voice study." PLoS ONE 18.8 (2023): e0287509-.

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