| Objectives:The aims of the study were to investigate the status of occupational stress,job satisfaction and quality of life(QOL)of civil servants,and to explore the mediating role of occupational stress and job satisfaction in the relationship between neuroticism and QOL,as well as the moderating effects of both gender and age in this relationship.Methods:Using convenient sampling method,a total of 559 civil servants were recruited.The Socio-demographic Questionnaire,neuroticism sub-scale from the Big Five Factor Inventory,Occupational Role Questionnaire(ORQ),Job Demand-Control Questionnaire,Job Effort-Reward Questionnaire,Job Satisfaction Questionnaire and Short Form-8(SF-8)Health Survey were used to measure the socio-demographic characteristics,neuroticism,perceived occupational stressors,job demand-control,job effort-reward,job satisfaction and QOL.Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 22.0.Statistical methods included:descriptive analysis,t-test,ANOVA,linear hierarchical regression,Pearson correlation analysis,and structural equation modeling.Results:1.Socio-demographic characteristics of civil servantsThe mean age of 559 civil servants was 46.29(SD=6.74)years,ranged from 27 to 60 years.The average working time was 24.83(SD=7.94)years.Among them,79.07%were male,95.35%were married,92.66%had a bachelor's degree or above,and 44.01%had chronic diseases.2.The status of neuroticism,occupational stress,job satisfaction and QOL of civil servantsThe mean score of neuroticism was 2.47(SD=0.75).The mean scores of perceived occupational stressors,job demand-control,job effort-reward were 2.60(SD=0.53),3.45(SD=0.67),3.46(SD=0.50),respectively.In the four dimensions of perceived occupational stressors,role overload had the highest score(3.47±0.86),while physical environment had the lowest score(1.48 ± 0.68).The total quality of life score was 75.43(SD=15.00).Among the eight dimensions of QOL,civil servants had the lowest score on general health perceptions(63.69 ± 18.77)and the highest score on role limitations due to physical health problems(80.28± 18.49).Female civil servants had higher scores of neuroticism(t=-2.098,P<0.05),lower scores of job responsibility(t=3.686,P<0.001),general health perceptions(t=2.138,P<0.05),bodily pain(t=3.076,P<0.01)and vitality(t=2.616,P<0.01)than male civil servants.Compared with the younger group(<45 years old),the older group(? 45 years old)had lower scores of neuroticism(t=2.512,P<0.05),role overload(t=3.235,P<0.01),job demand-control(t=3.878,P<0.001),and higher scores of job responsibilities(t=-3.075,P<0.01),vitality(t=-2.919,P<0.01),mental health(t=-2.130,P<0.05)and mental components of health(t=-2.266,P<0.05).3.The differences in QOL scores across socio-demographic factorsUnivariate analyses indicated that civil servants who were married(t=2.267,P<0.05),had a higher income level(F=6.781,P<0.01)and without chronic diseases(t=4.064,P<0.001)had a better physical components of health.Civil servants aged 45 to 60 years(t=2.266,P<0.05),with longer working years(F=5.122,P<0.01),married(t=2.776,P<0.01),with a bachelor degree(F=3.829,P<0.05),with higher rank(F=3.209,P<0.05),with a higher income level(F=7.517,P<0.01)and without chronic disease(t=2.611,P<0.01)had better mental components of health.Civil servants with longer working years(F=3.741,P<0.05),married(t=2.706,P<0.01),with higher income level(F=7.826,P<0.01),and without chronic diseases(t=3.548,P<0.001)had better overall QOL.4.Factors affecting the QOL of civil servantsLinear hierarchical regression showed that socio-demographic factors,neuroticism,occupational stress,and job satisfaction explained 7.0%,10.1%,8.8%,and 1.0%of the variance in physical components of health,respectively.All variables explained 26.9%of the variance.Chronic disease(??-0.113,P<0.01),neuroticism(?=-0.218,P<0.001),role boundary(?=-0.205,P<0.001),physical environment(?=-0.127,P<0.01),and job satisfaction(?=0.116,P<0.01)significantly predicted the physical components of health.socio-demographic factors,neuroticism,occupational stress,and job satisfaction explained 9.4%,16.2%,8.1%,and 2.1%of the variance in mental components of health,respectively.All variables explained 35.7%of the variance.Neuroticism(??-0.312,P<0.001),role boundary(?=-0.195,P<0.001),physical environment(?=-0.086,P<0.05),and job satisfaction(?=0.164,P<0.001)significantly predicted the mental components of health.socio-demographic factors,neuroticism,occupational stress,and job satisfaction explained 9.3%,14.8%,9.5%,and 1.8%of the variance in QOL,respectively.All variables explained 35.4%of the variance.Chronic disease(?=-0.100,P<0.01),neuroticism(??-0.286,P<0.001),role boundary(?=-0.205,P<0.001),physical environment(?=-0.120,P<0.01),and job satisfaction(?=0.156,P<0.001)significantly predicted the QOL.5.Mechanisms of neuroticism,occupational stress,and job satisfaction affecting quality of lifeThe results of structural equation model analysis showed that the model fit the data well(P<0.001,X2/df?2.598,GFI?0.920,CFI=0.936,NFI=0.901,TLI=0.926,RMSEA=0.054)after modification.Neuroticism significantly increased occupational stress(?=0.24,P<0.001),decreased job satisfaction(?=-0.29,P<0.001)and quality of life(??-0.39,P<0.001);occupational stress significantly reduced job satisfaction(??-0.31,P<0.001)and quality of life(?=-0.22,P<0.001);job satisfaction significantly increased quality of life(?-0.22,P<0.001).Occupational stress and job satisfaction mediated the relationship between neuroticism and quality of life.The direct effects of neuroticism,occupational stress,and job satisfaction on quality of life were-0.386(95%CI:-0.475,-0.291),-0.221(95%CI:-0.346,-0.090),and 0.220(95%CI:0.110,0.331),respectively;the indirect effects of neuroticism,occupational stress on quality of life were-0.131(95%CI:-0.198,-0.078),-0.068(95%CI:-0.117,-0.032),respectively.The results of multi-group analysis of different gender/age groups showed that both gender and age moderated the relationship among neuroticism,occupational stress,job satisfaction and quality of life.Conclusions:1.Civil servants suffered great occupational stress from role overload,job high demand-low control and high effort-low reward.Civil servants were generally satisfied with their work and had a good quality of life.2.Neuroticism and occupational stress were risk factors of civil servants' QOL,and job satisfaction was a protective factor of civil servants' QOL.3.Occupational stress and job satisfaction mediated the relationship between neuroticism and quality of life.4.Gender and age moderated the relationship among neuroticism,occupational stress,job satisfaction and quality of life. |
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