Gender Disparities in Health Workforce Satisfaction Among Primary Healthcare Workers in Ghana’s Upper East Region

Background: Health care delivery workforce satisfaction is essential for ensuring effective healthcare delivery and achieving universal health coverage (UHC). However, gender-based disparities in job satisfaction remain a persistent challenge, especially in low-resource settings like Ghana. Objective: This study explores gender-specific differences in job satisfaction and its predictors among primary healthcare workers in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 391 health care professionals across public primary health facilities. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and stratified ordered logistic regressions (adjusted) were employed to assess job satisfaction and its determinants by gender while controlling for confounding. Results: Job satisfaction levels differed significantly between male and female health workers. Mean satisfaction scores were significantly lower for females (3.21) compared to males (3.62, p < 0.001). While supervision , salary , and interpersonal relationships were stronger predictors of satisfaction among men, female workers’ satisfaction was influenced more by supervision and workload . Adjusted models confirmed that male satisfaction was significantly associated with interpersonal relationships (aOR = 10.58, p = 0.004) with salary showing a positive trend (OR = 7.27, p = 0.062), whereas for females, satisfaction was significantly associated with supervision (aOR = 12.43, p = 0.012) and negatively associated with salary (aOR = 0.12, p = 0.013) , indicating a paradoxical dissatisfaction at higher income levels. Conclusion: Gender disparities in job satisfaction are evident in Ghana’s public health workforce. Understanding these differences is critical for developing gender-responsive workforce strategies. Interventions aimed at improving interpersonal relationships, supervision, workload, and compensation equity can enhance satisfaction, retention, and ultimately, health system performance in the region.