Abstract:
Kenya is among the countries with an acute shortage of skilled health workers. There
have been recurrent health worker strikes in Kenya due to several issues, some of which directly
or indirectly affect their health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictors of
health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among healthcare workers in public and mission hospitals in
Meru County, Kenya. A cross-sectional study design was undertaken among 553 healthcare workers
across 24 hospitals in Meru County. The participants completed the EuroQol-five dimension-five
level (EQ-5D-5L) instrument, which measures health status across five dimensions and the overall
self-assessment of health status on a visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS). Approximately 66.55% of the
healthcare workers reported no problems (i.e., 11,111) across the five dimensions. The six predictors
of HRQOL among the healthcare workers were hospital ownership (p < 0.05), age (p < 0.05), income
(p < 0.01), availability of water for handwashing (p < 0.05), presence of risk in using a toilet facility
(p < 0.05), and overall safety of hospital work environment (p < 0.05). Personal, job-related attributes
and work environment characteristics are significant predictors of healthcare workers HRQOL. Thus,
these factors ought to be considered by health policymakers and managers when developing and
implementing policies and programs aimed at promoting HRQOL among healthcare workers.
