Table 2 Summary characteristics of respondents and non-respondents
|  |  | All survey respondents (n = 196) | Information-seeking: included (n = 170) | Information-seeking: not included (n = 26) | Recognition of expertise: included (n = 158) | Friendship: included (n = 120) | The whole department * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gender | female (%) | 176 (89.8%) | 153 (90%) | 23 (88.5%) | 141 (89.2%) | 108 (90%) | 90% |
Years of work experience in public health: mean(SD) |  | 10.3 (9) | 10.7 (8.7) | 7.2 (6.6)* | 10.7 (9) | 10.5 (9) | ~7 years |
Highest degree earned | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
| Â | Diploma/certificate | 27 (13.8%) | 21 (12.4%) | 6 (23.1%) | 20 (12.7%) | 17 (14.2%) | No information available |
| Â | Baccalaureate | 125 (63.8%) | 106 (62.4%) | 19 (73.1%) | 99 (62.7%) | 72 (60%) | No information available |
| Â | Master | 42 (21.4%) | 41 (24.1%) | 1 (3.8%) | 37 (23.4%) | 30 (25%) | No information available |
| Â | Doctorate | 2 (1%) | 2 (1.2%) | 0 | 2 (1.3%) | 1 (0.8%) | No information available |
Division | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
| Â | #1 | 71 (36.2%) | 57 (33.5%) | 11 (42.3%) | 55 (34.8%) | 41 (34.2%) | 184 (29%) |
| Â | #2 | 19 (9.7%) | 17 (10%) | 2 (7.7%) | 16 (10.1%) | 12 (10%) | 93 (14%) |
| Â | Office of the Medical Officer of Health | 11 (5.6%) | 11 (6.5%) | 0 | 11 (7%) | 10 (8.3%) | 19 (3%) |
| Â | #4 | 47 (24%) | 42 (24.7%) | 6 (23.1%) | 40 (25.3%) | 31 (25.8%) | 176 (27%) |
| Â | #5 | 48 (24.5%) | 43 (25.3%) | 7 (26.9%) | 36 (22.8%) | 26 (21.7%) | 170 (26%) |
Job titles (response rate %) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
| Â | Associate medical officer of health, director | 4 (57%) | 4 (57%) | 0 | 3 (43%) | 3 (43%) | 7 |
| Â | Manager | 15 (83%) | 15 (83%) | 0 | 13 (72%) | 12 (67%) | 18 |
| Â | Supervisor | 27 (48%) | 27 (48%) | 0 | 26 (46%) | 12 (21%) | 56 |
|  | ‘professional consultants’ | 12 (60%) | 12 (60%) | 0 | 11 (55%) | 11 (55%) | 20 |
| Â | epidemiologist | 3 (100%) | 3 (100%) | 0 | 3 (100%) | 2 (66%) | 3 |
| Â | Practitioners (e.g. Public Health Nurse, Health Promotion Officer, Registered Dietician, Nutritionist, Public Health Inspector) | 121 (26%) | 98 (21%) | 23 (5%) | 92 (20%) | 70 (15%) | 461* |
| Â | Administrative support | 14 (13%) | 11 (10%) | 3 (3%) | 10 (9%) | 10 (9%) | 110* |