Demographic and occupational factors predicting personality types among healthcare practitioners: An analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM)

Abstract

Personality significantly influences healthcare professionals' performance, interpersonal communication, and stress management. While existing literature suggests that individual personality traits may be shaped by demographic and occupational variables, there is a scarcity of studies employing robust statistical modeling in healthcare settings. This study aimed to investigate the structural impact of demographic factors (such as gender, academic qualification, and subspecialty) and professional variables (including workplace, work shifts, weekly working hours, and experience) on the Big Five personality traits among healthcare practitioners using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). A total of 364 healthcare workers from hospitals, primary health care centers, and emergency clinics participated in the study, with data collected through a structured questionnaire utilizing the Big Five Inventory–2 Short Form (BFI-2-S). The analysis revealed that demographic variables accounted for 11% of the variance in the latent personality construct (R² = 0.11, β = 0.326, p < .001), with a statistically significant structural effect observed (β = 0.326, p < .001), particularly affecting Agreeableness and Open-Mindedness. In contrast, professional variables did not demonstrate a meaningful impact (β = -0.079, p = 0.693). Further regression analyses indicated that gender and academic qualification were significant predictors of Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. These findings suggest that personality is more strongly influenced by demographic background than by occupational conditions among healthcare professionals, emphasizing the importance of incorporating personality-based considerations into recruitment, supervision, and training programs within healthcare institutions. Future research should adopt longitudinal and culturally sensitive approaches to further explore these relationships in diverse clinical contexts.

Personality significantly influences healthcare professionals' performance, interpersonal communication, and stress management. While existing literature suggests that individual personality traits may be shaped by demographic and occupational variables, there is a scarcity of studies employing robust statistical modeling in healthcare settings. This study aimed to investigate the structural impact of demographic factors (such as gender, academic qualification, and subspecialty) and professional variables (including workplace, work shifts, weekly working hours, and experience) on the Big Five personality traits among healthcare practitioners using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). A total of 364 healthcare workers from hospitals, primary health care centers, and emergency clinics participated in the study, with data collected through a structured questionnaire utilizing the Big Five Inventory–2 Short Form (BFI-2-S). The analysis revealed that demographic variables accounted for 11% of the variance in the latent personality construct (R² = 0.11, β = 0.326, p < .001), with a statistically significant structural effect observed (β = 0.326, p < .001), particularly affecting Agreeableness and Open-Mindedness. In contrast, professional variables did not demonstrate a meaningful impact (β = -0.079, p = 0.693). Further regression analyses indicated that gender and academic qualification were significant predictors of Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. These findings suggest that personality is more strongly influenced by demographic background than by occupational conditions among healthcare professionals, emphasizing the importance of incorporating personality-based considerations into recruitment, supervision, and training programs within healthcare institutions. Future research should adopt longitudinal and culturally sensitive approaches to further explore these relationships in diverse clinical contexts.