Perception of quality of life among anesthesiologists and non-anesthesiologists

Literature points out routine factors with negative impact on anesthesiologists' quality of life. This study aims to compare the perception of quality of life of anesthesiologists and non-anesthesiologists.

Transversal study based on three specific questionnaires (epidemiological, WHOQOL-BREF and SF-12®) applied in anesthesiologists (Group A) and non-anesthesiologists (Group NA), of a general university hospital and a third group of anesthesiologists from inner state (Group I). The analysis of epidemiological variables and the ones related to quality of life domains of WHOQOL were interpreted by multivariate analysis (SPSS program).

The number of WHOQOL-BREF respondents were: Group A=67; Group NA=69; Group I=53. The anesthesiologists from Group I were excluded from the study due to an inadequate sample for statistical analysis. The total number of respondents to check the SF-12® score was 61 in Group A and 68 in Group NA. For the WHOQOL-BREF tool, the physical domain scores were 72.97±11.78 for Group A and 77.17±10.85 for Group NA (p<0.05); the psychological domain scores were 66.44±13.66 for Group A and 71.79±11.48 for Group NA (p<0.05); the social relationship domain scores were 64.67±19.08 for Group A and 73.36±15.37 for Group NA (p<0.01); and the environment domain scores were 68.14±11.56 for Group A and 72.37±10.07 for Group NA (p<0.05). In SF-12®, both physical and mental components did not show statistical differences.

The perception of the anesthesiologists' quality of life was consistently inferior to other physicians in general, for the studied sample.