General Occupational Well-being of Dentists Working in the Ministry of Health and Regional Governments of Peru During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: The well-being of dentists significantly influences their professional performance and the oral health care they provide to their patients. Objective: To determine the general occupational well-being of dentists working in establishments under the Ministry of Health (MINSA) and Regional Governments (GORES) of Peru during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. The population comprised 5,289 dentists working in MINSA and GORES in the year 2021. A questionnaire on general occupational well-being was send to all participants via email. The questionnaire included 64 items: 7 on sociodemographic aspects, 42 on the psychosocial well-being dimension, and 13 on collateral effects. Results: The survey was completed by 362 dentists, revealing a psychosocial well-being score of 189.89 ± 40.57 and a collateral effects score of 44.80 ± 19.25. Lower psychosocial well-being was observed among dentists aged 41 and older (p = 0.046), those working 1 to 41 hours per week (p = 0.009), from the Lima and southern macro-region (p = 0.026), engaging in remote work (p = 0.029), and those experiencing severe economic impact. Regarding collateral effects, dentists from the southern macro-region exhibited lower well-being (p = 0.022). Conclusions: During the pandemic, the general occupational well-being of dentists from MINSA and GORES in Peru was related, in its psychosocial well-being dimension, to age, weekly working hours, macro-region, type of work, and economic impact.