Abstract
Purpose : First, this study is to look into difference between dental hygienists' demographic characteristics and their job satisfaction by examining their demographic characteristics and job satisfaction. Second, this study is to analyze demographic factors of dental hygienists which influence their job satisfaction. Method : This study was made through mail survey with questionnaires for dental hygienists who are personally performing dental hygienist duties at dental clinics in Seoul between June 19 and July 24, 2008 by looking into factors influencing dental hygienists' job satisfaction in order to provide them as background data to enhance their job satisfaction. Total 180 questionnaires were distributed, and among these, 156 questionnaires excluding 24 questions of incomplete responses were statistically analyzed with SPSS 12.0. Result : First, the total mean of dental hygienists' job satisfaction was found to be 2.99 points out of 5 points, and that of their autonomy to be the highest as 3.26, and that of their salary to be the lowest as 2.55. Second, for relation between general characteristics and job satisfaction of dental hygienists, significant difference was found just in job experience(p<0.05), current position(p<0.05), average salary(p<0.001), and the expected period of engagement in dental hygienist duties(p<0.01). Third, descriptive power on demographic characteristics, which were used as an independent variable influencing their job satisfaction, was found to be 17.7%, and among the said factors, average salary had a statistically significant effect on their job satisfaction(p<0.01). Conclusion : The point of salary factor was lowest among 5 factors composing dental hygienists' job satisfaction, and as a result of multiple regression analysis, a factor influencing job satisfaction was average salary. Therefore salary system is required to be improved in order to increase their job satisfaction, and further studies on factors influencing their job satisfaction are also required to be made.