Gender Differences in Job Satisfaction and Work-Life Balance Among Chinese Physicians in Tertiary Public Hospitals

Background: Gender has been associated with job-related experience, including job satisfaction and work-life balance. This study aimed to identify gender differences in job satisfaction and work-life balance among Chinese physicians in a large, nationally representative sample. Methods: A national cross-sectional survey was conducted between March 18 and 31, 2019, using an anonymous online questionnaire. The questionnaire included the short‐form MSQ (Chinese version) and a work-life balance item. The demographic and job-related factors were also collected. Findings In total, 22,128 physicians (9,378 males and 12,750 females) from 144 tertiary public hospitals completed the survey. The overall MSQ score (job satisfaction) was 70.31±12.67, and it was 69.89±13.24 in males, and 70.63±12.22 in females, respectively (p0.05). Interpretation While many demographic and work-related factors are significantly associated with job satisfaction and WLB, we found no significant gender differences. To improve Chinese physicians’ job satisfaction and work-life balance, interventions should be focused on certain specialties and on other modifiable factors, such as income, working hours.