Work motivation profiles and work engagement among geriatric nursing assistants in Chinese aged care institutions: a cross-sectional latent profile analysis

作者：Jing Zhou, Xi Zhou, Jing Wang, Mengru Wang, Yini Tang · 发表于：International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1016/j.ijnsa.2026.100649 · 研究领域：Geriatric Care and Nursing Homes、Workplace Health and Well-being、Nursing education and management

Background Geriatric nursing assistants are central to long-term care, but average-score analyses may conceal differences in how autonomous and controlled forms of work motivation combine within individuals. Objective To identify latent work motivation profiles among geriatric nursing assistants, compare the primary outcome of work engagement across profiles, and examine factors associated with profile membership. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted between May and August 2025 in nine aged care institutions in Xi’an and Weinan, Shaanxi Province, China. Eligible participants were currently employed as geriatric nursing assistants, had worked continuously for at least 6 months, and provided informed consent. Using convenience and snowball sampling, 445 questionnaires were distributed; 396 were returned (response rate, 89.0%), and 330 met the eligibility and predefined data-quality criteria and were included in the analysis. Work motivation was assessed using four Motivation at Work Scale subscales, and work engagement was assessed using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-9. Latent profile analysis, group comparisons, and multinomial logistic regression were conducted. Results Three profiles were identified: passive externally driven (5.2%; n = 17), partially internalised (52.4%; n = 173), and highly integrated (42.4%; n = 140). The three-profile model showed high classification quality (entropy = 0.937). Mean total work-engagement scores were 15.18, 31.09, and 43.56 a...