Comparative study of the quality of life of medical workers in Belarus and Japan

Objective. The purpose of the study was to conduct a cross-cultural analysis of the quality of life of medical workers in Belarus and Japan, to assess the similarities and differences, to identify cultural characteristics and factors affecting the quality of life of medical workers of both countries.
Materials and methods. The study was conducted in medical organizations in Gomel, Belarus, where 400 respondents (doctors and nurses) were interviewed and in university clinics in Nagasaki (Japan), where 238 medical workers took part in the survey. The survey was conducted using a validated Russian and English versions of the WHO Brief Questionnaire for Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF).
Results. The results of the study showed that Japanese medical workers are less satisfied with their ability to work and the ability to perform their duties compared to Belarusian medical workers (31.0 and 34.0% of respondents in Japan and 68.9 and 62.2% of respondents in Belarus, respectively, p < 0.001). About a third of respondents (31.6% in Belarus, 38.0% in Japan) often experience negative emotions (bad mood, anxiety, despair, depression). 79.0% of respondents in Belarus are satisfied with their personal relationships, while in Japan this indicator was 49.3% (p < 0.001). The percentage of dissatisfaction with their sex life is high among Japanese medical workers (71.9% compared to 21.8% of respondents in Belarus, p < 0.001). 56.6% of Japanese medical workers and 77.2% of Belarusian medical workers are satisfied with the support from friends (p < 0.001). Indicators of psychological health and social relations are higher among respondents who are married. The incidence of medical workers in both countries is very high: from 20 to 30% of respondents report the presence of a disease or health problem.
Conclusion. Medical workers’ assessment of their quality of life depends largely on the different ways of life in the two countries, the peculiarities of the health care system, the general standard of living of the population, and other factors. However, as the survey showed, statistically these differences in the assessment of the quality of life are insignificant.

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