Odyolog ve Odyometristlerin İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Koşulları ve İş Doyumu Düzeyleri

Abstract

Durmaz, E., Occupational Health and Safety Conditions and Job Satisfaction Levels of Audiologists and Audiometrists, Hacettepe University Graduate School Health Sciences Occupational Health Program Master Thesis, Ankara, 2022. This study aimed to investigate occupational health, safety conditions, and job satisfaction levels of hearing health professionals, namely audiologists, and audiometrists. In this descriptive study, data were collected across Turkey using e-surveys prepared with Google Forms. The research group consisted of 247 members of the Audiology Union and Audiometry Union Platform social media groups, who were still active in the field at the time of filling out the form. The questionnaire consisted of five subheadings: sociodemographic characteristics, health-related characteristics, working-life characteristics, occupational health and safety conditions, and the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale (intrinsic, extrinsic, and general job satisfaction assessment). Data were analyzed with SPSS 25. Type 1 margin of error was accepted as p<0.05. t-test, Mann Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis, and analysis of variance were used in comparative analyses. The mean age in the group was 28±7.1. Three-quarters of the participants (75.3%) were audiologists, and 39.7% were working at hearing aid/cochlear implant centers. Women constituted the majority (76.1%) of participants. The majority (82.6%) of the participants were single. Nearly half (47.3%) worked more than eight hours daily, 48.1% worked six days a week, and 43.0% worked five days a week. In the survey, 49% of the participants stated that the working position was ergonomic, 40.9% had adequate rest time, 62.8% had heavy workloads, 52.6% skipped meals or were unable to eat on time, 40.5% were not given enough space to rest, 42.9% went through at least one type of violence (mobbing 31.1%, psychological violence 29.5%, verbal violence 27.1%). On average, 60.3% of workplaces took precautions against hazards and risks, 69.2% had adequate ventilation, 66.8% had the thermal conditions suitable for the season, 80.6% reported sufficient lighting, 58.3% had warnings, prohibitions, and warning signs in the workplace, and 56.3% had no emergency drills. Of the participants, 60.7% reported they had received occupational health and safety training, 62.8% reported taking an entrance exam, and 57.6% reported they had at least one illness or complaint caused or exacerbated by their work, 42.1% reported psychological problems (irritability, feeling exhausted, depression, etc). Participants had high levels of intrinsic satisfaction, moderate levels of extrinsic satisfaction and high levels of general job satisfaction When job satisfaction levels were evaluated according to the sub-dimensions, there was a statistically significant relationship between age-intrinsic/general, occupation-extrinsic, postgraduate education-extrinsic/general, general health status-extrinsic/general, working time-intrinsic/general, and between marital status, workplace, performance-based bonus, heavy workload, disagreement with colleagues, and the size of work area, and all three dimensions of satisfaction (p<0.005). A statistically significant relationship (p<0.001) was also found in all three dimensions of satisfaction and the variables of income status, disagreement with managers, suitability of the working position and exposure to any violence. It was found that safety measures were inadequate in the workplaces, and this negatively affected job satisfaction levels. There must be arrangements in place, especially the regulations stipulated by the relevant legislation.