Affiliations: Department of Research and Occupational Health,
Administration of Occupational Safety and Health, Reykjavik, Iceland | Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Iceland,
Sudurgata, Reykjavik, Iceland
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Holmfridur K. Gunnarsdottir,
Department of Research & Occupational Health, Administration of
Occupational Safety and Health, Bildshofdi 16, 110 Reykjavik, Iceland. Tel.:
+354 550 4600; Fax: +354 550 4610; E-mail: hkg@ver.is
Abstract: Educational qualifications are reliable predictors of women's
self-assessed health. Aims: To study possible inequalities in health among women with
different educational backgrounds working in geriatric care and to find groups
that might need special public health measures. Methods: In this cross-sectional questionnaire reaching throughout
Iceland, the participants were employees in 62 geriatric nursing homes and
geriatric hospital wards with 10 or more employees. A total of 1,886
questionnaires were distributed. The 84-item questionnaire included questions
on demographic and work-related factors, health and life style. Age-adjusted
odds ratios (OR) were calculated for work-related psychosocial, physical and
health factors, and confidence intervals were set at 95% (95% CI). Registered
nurses were taken as a reference category. Results: The response rate was 80%. Registered nurses accounted for
16%, practical nurses 21%, unskilled attendants 44%, cleaning personnel 8%
and others 12%. The practical nurses, unskilled attendants and cleaning
personnel assessed work as more physically difficult, and more monotonous both
physically and mentally, than did the registered nurses, who enjoyed more
physical and mental well-being than the others. However, the registered nurses
visited doctors as often as the other groups did. Conclusions: Personnel groups in geriatric care have different
physical and psychosocial workloads. The results provide opportunities to guide
public health measures for people employed in geriatric care and possibly in
other settings, such as hospitals and health care institutions.
Keywords: women, nurses, practical nurses, unskilled, geriatric care, education
