Table 3 Simple linear regression analyses on the factors associated with work-related stress (HPSI) among PCDs

Age

-0.25 (-0.52, 0.02)

0.072

Gender

 Male

Ref

 Female

-1.00 (-5.90, 3.90)

0.687

Ethnicity

 Malay

Ref

 Chinese

1.78 (-3.85, 7.42)

0.534

 Indian

-1.85 (-8.26, 4.57)

0.571

 Others

-2.79 (-16.74, 11.16)

0.694

Marital Status

 Single

Ref

 Married

0.71 (-4.00, 5.42)

0.766

Postgraduate qualification

 No

Ref

 Yes

2.55 (-1.69, 6.78)

0.238

Designation

 Medical Officer

Ref

 Family Medicine Specialist

0.02 (-5.08, 5.12)

0.995

 General Practitioner

-9.40 (-16.51, -2.28)

0.010

Income

-9.10 × 10^− 5 (-0.001, 0.000)

0.710

Workplace locality

 Rural

Ref

 Urban

0.57 (-4.01, 5.14)

0.807

Working place

 Government Health Clinic*

Ref

 Private Clinic

-4.12 (-10.35, 2.11)

0.194

 University Primary Care Clinic

-2.96 (-13.65, 7.73)

0.587

Experience working in primary care

-0.19 (-0.51, 0.14)

0.263

Time to reach the workplace

0.09 (-0.05, 0.23)

0.200

Number of patients seen in an average working day

 ≤ 40

Ref

 > 40

3.49 (-1.98, 8.96)

0.210

Number of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients seen in an average working day

 < 10

Ref

 ≥ 10

5.38 (1.12, 9.65)

0.013

Average time spent for one regular patient consultation

-0.18 (-0.47, 0.12)

0.233

Average time spent doing administrative work

0.10 (-0.08, 0.29)

0.260

Average time spent in teaching/conducting CPD/CME for staff or colleagues per week

-0.02 (-0.25, 0.21)

0.865

Average time spent in clinical audit/research activity per week

0.27 (0.01, 0.54)

0.041

Feeling afraid of getting COVID-19 infection at the workplace

 Never

Ref

 Rarely

7.06 (-2.97, 17.08)

0.167

 Sometimes

11.96 (2.81, 21.11)

0.011

 Often

14.96 (5.34, 24.58)

0.002

 Always

24.28 (14.17, 34.39)

< 0.001

Feeling afraid of spreading COVID-19 infection to family members or household contacts from the workplace

 Never

Ref

 Rarely

13.03 (-3.71, 29.77)

0.127

 Sometimes

13.23 (-1.41, 27.86)

0.076

 Often

19.83 (5.26, 34.40)

0.008

 Always

25.41 (10.82, 40.00)

0.001

Feeling worried about being alienated by friends and relatives because of close contact with COVID-19 patients

 Never

Ref

 Rarely

9.11 (3.76, 14.45)

0.001

 Sometimes

12.62 (7.16, 18.08)

< 0.001

 Often

14.53 (7.71, 21.35)

< 0.001

 Always

22.74 (14.50, 30.98)

< 0.001

Frequency of receiving support from the supervisor at the workplace during COVID-19

 Never

Ref

 Rarely

-2.78 (-11.73, 6.18)

0.542

 Sometimes

-2.60 (-10.49, 5.28)

0.516

 Often

-5.17 (-13.27, 2.93)

0.210

 Always

-10.53 (-19.17, -1.88)

0.017

Availability of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) at workplace

 Never

Ref

 Rarely

-5.67 (-26.42, 15.09)

0.591

 Sometimes

-4.84 (-21.18, 11.50)

0.560

 Often

-2.58 (-17.71, 12.54)

0.737

 Always

-8.70 (-23.64, 6.23)

0.252

Job Demand Inventory (JDI)

1.20 (0.98, 1.42)

< 0.001

Physicians’ Lack of Professional

Autonomy (PLPA)

-0.24 (-0.62, 0.15)

0.222