title: Working conditions, job strain and work engagement among Belgian radiation oncologists.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This national survey has measured the working conditions, work engagement, job strain, burn out, and the negative work-home interaction among Belgian radiation oncologists with validated questionnaires. In fact, previous studies had in general shown an interest to burn out and its association with working conditions among oncology workers, but not focused on radiation oncologists in particular. Moreover, few studies concerned work engagement and its association with working conditions although this could be important in preventing burn out.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used the WOrking Conditions and Control Questionnaire, the Positive and Negative Occupational States Inventory, the Maslach Burn out Inventory, and the negative work-home interaction subscale of the Survey Work-home Interaction Nijmegen. One open question asked about problematic job situations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-six radiation oncologists participated (30% response rate). Median scores of most of working conditions corresponded to normal scores. Control over time management (45.8) was close to low score, while control over future (60.9) was high. Median score of job strain (48.9) was normal, whereas median score of work engagement (60) was high. Median score of burn out was low. The mean of negative work-home interactions (1.1) was higher than the mean of 0.84 in a reference sample (t=4.3; P<0.001). The most frequent problematic situations referred to work organization (e.g. time pressure) and specific resources (e.g. chief support).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Radiation oncologists showed a very high level of work engagement and experienced several job resources. However, some resources (as supervisor support) were missing and needed to be developed. These results were discussed in the context of motivational process described in the Job Demands-Resources Model.
authors.affiliation: Radiothérapie, CHU de Liège, Domaine du Sart-Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium; Unité de psychologie de la santé, Université de Liège, boulevard du Rectorat, B33, 4000 Liège, Belgium. Electronic address: isabelle.bragard@ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bragard
authors.affiliation: Unité de valorisation des ressources humaines, Université de Liège, boulevard du Rectorat, B32, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hansez
authors.affiliation: Radiothérapie, CHU de Liège, Domaine du Sart-Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coucke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology; D009042:Motivation; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011871:Radiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Burn out; Conditions de travail; Engagement professionnel; Job strain; Radiation oncologists; Radiothérapeutes; Stress professionnel; Work engagement; Working conditions