The development and evaluation of the worker-occupation fit inventory

BACKGROUND: Person-environment fit (PEF) theory, one of the foundational theories of occupational stress, has primarily found applications in organizational behavior and human resource management. Given the alignment between the definition of occupational stress and the essence of PEF, we introduced the concept of worker-occupation fit (WOF). To validate our theoretical model, the development of an instrument to measure WOF becomes imperative. METHODS: The Worker-Occupation Fit Inventory (WOFI) comprises three dimensions: personal trait fit (PTF), need-supply fit (NSF) and demand-ability fit (DAF). Job-related mental disorders (JRMDs) were assessed using the DASS-21. During the pre-investigation, items of the WOFI underwent screening through classic test theory (CTT) analysis. In the formal investigation, item response theory (IRT) analysis was employed to evaluate the selected items. The relationship between WOF and JRMD was verified by Pearson’s correlation analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The initial version consisted of 26 items. Three common factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis (EFA): 6 items were included in the PTF, 6 items were included in the NSF, 4 items were included in the DAF, and 10 items were deleted because of unacceptable factor loadings. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) verified the structure of the WOFI with χ(2)/df = 1.822, CFI = 0.947, and SRMSR = 0.056. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients of the PTF, NSF, and DAF were 0.91, 0.92, and 0.80, respectively. In IRT analysis, the discrimination values of all items ranged from 1.25 to 2.53, and the difficulty values of all items ranged from -6.28 to 1.30 (with no difficulty of reversal). The WOF was negatively related to job-related stress (r = -0.34, p<0.001), anxiety (r = -0.37, p<0.001), and depression (r = -0.41, p<0.001). The multiple logistic regression analysis suggested that a high level of WOF was a protective factor against job-related mental disorders, with ORs all less than 1 (p<0.001), and a low level of WOF was a risk factor for job-related mental disorders, with ORs all more than 1.0 (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of CTT and IRT analysis indicated that the WOFI exhibits reliability and validation. The WOF effectively predicted job-related mental disorders. Subsequent studies will delve into the influence of WOFI on diverse professions and various health outcomes. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-023-17080-x.