The relationship between demographic variables, stress and job satisfaction: A study of Hawaii fire service personnel

First responders or rescue workers providing emergency services are at greater risk of experiencing stress that may influence job satisfaction. Furthermore, external factors such as demographics may increase the intensity or level of stress as well as job satisfaction. Specifically, fire service personnel positions experience extreme working conditions and environments and are consistently exposed to work stressors such as excessive heat, long work shifts and so forth. As a result, such work stressors commonly influence psychological, physical and/or behavioral strains such as fatigue, heart disease, aggression and job satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to identify significant differences and examine the relationship between demographic variables, stress and job satisfaction among Hawaii fire service personnel. The primary focus for this study was to examine whether there was a negative correlation between stress and job satisfaction among Hawaii fire service personnel and whether age, years of service and income was positive predicting factors of job satisfaction among Hawaii fire service personnel. Additionally, this study examined if married and higher ranked Hawaii fire service personnel experience more stress than unmarried and lower ranked Hawaii fire service personnel. Despite the insignificant findings, mean differences between ranks and marital status on job stress exist. Additionally, relationships between predicting variables and job satisfaction exist. However, a negative relationship between stress and job satisfaction was determined to be significant. In future studies, obtaining a larger sample size and utilizing questionnaires specific for fire personnel populations would help increase validity and benefit overall research findings.