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Employment satisfaction among public health and preventive medicine graduates and associated factors: a cross-sectional survey at Guangxi Medical University

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background: In recent years, the training for public health and preventive medicine graduates has expanded, and job positions have been reorganized, which may affect graduates' job matching and subjective experiences. However, systematic evidence remains limited. This study evaluates the level, structure, and determinants of employment satisfaction among Guangxi Medical University graduates from 2021 to 2024, and suggests priorities for improvement based on these findings. Methods: We surveyed graduates online from February to August 2025 using a cross-sectional design. Of 243 submitted questionnaires, 49 had the same response to all 17 dimension-specific satisfaction items and were excluded. We analyzed the remaining 194 questionnaires; a separate 5-point item measured overall employment and development satisfaction. We examined associations using proportional odds ordinal logistic regression and used the 17 dimension-specific items for an exploratory Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA). Supplementary checks included prespecified model diagnostics, bootstrap analyses, alternative outcome coding, exclusion of respondents in further study or postdoctoral positions, and false-discovery-rate adjustment of univariable tests. Results: = 0.008). Both associations had the same direction in the three-level ordinal model and after excluding 25 respondents in further study or postdoctoral positions. The exploratory IPA identified career development opportunities, the contribution of internships or practica to employability, and effort-reward fairness as areas for further study. Several quadrant assignments, however, had limited bootstrap stability. Conclusion: Just over half of respondents reported relatively high or very high satisfaction. Older age and more favorable retrospective ratings of university career guidance were associated with higher satisfaction. The cross-sectional data cannot establish the direction of these relationships or support causal conclusions. The exploratory IPA classifications require confirmation in larger, multicenter samples before they are used to guide interventions.

Source: Frontiers in Public Health

DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1985186

Authors: Qiyini Ma, Yuyu Chen, Sijia Dai, Xiaowei He, Yunfeng Zou, Cheng Xu

Institution: Guangxi Medical University

Language: English

Topic: Higher Education and Employability

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Good health and well-being, Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,801