title: Job stress and job satisfaction of physicians in private practice: comparison of German and Norwegian physicians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined job satisfaction and job stress of German compared to Norwegian physicians in private practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A representative sample of physicians in private practice of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany (N = 414) and a nationwide sample of Norwegian general practitioners and private practice specialists (N = 340) were surveyed in a cross-sectional design in 2010. The questionnaire comprised the standard instruments "Job Satisfaction Scale (JSS)" and a short form of the "Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERI)".
  
  
  RESULTS
  Norwegian physicians scored significantly higher (<0.01) on all items of the job satisfaction scale compared to German physicians (M 5.57, SD 0.74 vs. M 4.78, SD 1.01). The effect size was highest for the items freedom to choose method (d = 1.012), rate of pay (d = 0.941), and overall job satisfaction (d = 0.931). While there was no significant difference in the mean of the overall effort scale between German and Norwegian physicians, Norwegian physicians scored significantly higher (p < 0.01) on the reward scale. A larger proportion of German physicians (27.6%) presented with an effort/reward ratio beyond 1.0, indicating a risky level of work-related stress, compared to only 10.3% of Norwegian physicians. Working hours, effort, reward, and country differences accounted for 37.4% of the explained variance of job satisfaction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Job satisfaction and reward were significantly higher in Norwegian than in German physicians. An almost threefold higher proportion of German physicians exhibited a high level of work-related stress. Findings call for active prevention and health promotion among stressed practicing physicians, with a special focus on improved working conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Friedensau Adventist University, Friedensau, Germany. edgar.voltmer@thh-friedensau.de
authors.forename: Edgar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Voltmer
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosta
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Siegrist
authors.forename: Olaf G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Aasland
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011331:Private Practice; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D014937:Work / Q000523:psychology*