Public health and work safety pilot study: Inspection of job risks, burn out syndrome and job satisfaction of public health inspectors in Greece

Abstract

This is a cross-sectional, nationwide pilot study conducted in the first quarter of 2021 in Greece. The aim of this study was to report the job risks of public health inspectors in Greece and investigate possible relationships with burnout and job satisfaction. An online survey was created, and the web link was distributed to respondents by email, through the National Public Health Inspectorate Administration, while anonymity was retained. A total number of 78 Public Health Inspectors were contacted and 46 responses were collected (response rate 58.97%). The study found that biological, ergonomic, and psychosocial risks are perceived as most severe in public health inspection. Higher levels of emotional exhaustion were associated with more prevalent ergonomic and psychosocial risks. Job satisfaction was associated with ergonomic risks, but it was most strongly predicted by demographic variables. Perceived quality of job training was found to be negatively related to psychosocial risks. It was concluded that Public Health Inspectors in Greece face a variety of job risks the severity of which contribute to burnout and more specifically to emotional exhaustion. These findings are among the first to address occupational health and safety of Public Health Inspectors in Greece and worldwide and can contribute significantly to the development of the appropriate framework to reduce job risks and emotional exhaustion among employees of Public Health Inspection.