Lifestyle, Working Conditions, and Quality of Life Among Dentists in Kazakhstan.

Abstract

Background: The study of working conditions and the quality of life (QoL) of medical workers has not lost its relevance worldwide. This highlights the need to understand the many aspects of life that may characterize physician performance and satisfaction with working conditions. This is extremely important for providing quality and safe medical care. This research aims to study dentists' lifestyles and working conditions in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the impact of these indicators on their QoL. Methods: This article presents the results of a cross-sectional survey of a sociological questionnaire conducted with the participation of 254 dentists in Kazakhstan. Results: Only a third of dentists follow a healthy lifestyle. In total, 39% of dentists currently smoke, and 24% drink alcohol. Dentists with more than 20 years of experience have a worse QoL and have the lowest scores in all domains compared to dentists with less experience. The lowest score was scored for mental health (mean = 51.81). On all scales, dentists who worked more than 40 h a week reported decreased QoL; the lowest score was in the "mental health" domain (mean = 52.80). Conclusion: The QoL of dentists in Kazakhstan is negatively affected by their working hours and long working experience. Measures are necessary to improve their working conditions, work schedule planning, and mental health.