Background: It is well known that job satisfaction influences health care services quality. The aim of this study is to evaluate sanitary workers' job satisfaction and to determine its components, in a sanitary district institutions: primary health care centres, speciality centres and district hospital.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed. The sample is proportional, stratified and randomized. It is composed of 947 workers, 460 of which are speciality care workers (SCW) (from a total study population of 1579 people), and 486 are primary care workers (PCW) (the whole population of PCW) from the tenth sanitary area of Madrid. We have used two questionnaires: the first one is Font-Roja's questionnaire which consists of 27 items that are evaluated through a Likert 1-5 scale. The second questionnaire consists of independent variables: socio-demographic and job variables. We have made an exploratory factorial analysis of various satisfaction components. We have evaluated the relationship between each dimension and the independent variables.
Results: 255 professionals of SCW (55.4% of the whole) and 357 of PCW (73.9% of the whole) answered the questionnaire. The dimensions that reached the lowest score were these factors: stress related with job and professional promotion (this factor was lowest in nurses and administrative worker). There are significant differences with respect to studied factors, professional level, and kind of job.
Conclusions: We have found a half way satisfaction level in this sanitary district health care workers. Our results suggest that modifications in management and working conditions are needed, according to satisfaction dimension scores.