Burnout syndrome among healthcare professionals in Fako division Cameroon: impact of physical activity and sleep quality

Abstract

Abstract Burnout syndrome (BOS) is an affection mostly resulting from chronic job-related stress. Many studies have identified job-related and non- job-related factors associated with BOS. The aim of this study was to assess the level of BOS in private and public hospital healthcare providers in Fako division, Cameroon and evaluate the impact of physical activity and sleep quality (SQ). The study was carried out in five randomly selected hospitals in Fako Division over a three-month period. Consenting doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians were recruited using consecutive sampling method. Sociodemographic and professional characteristics were collected using structured questionnaire. BOS was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). Sleep quality (SQ) and physical activity (PA) were assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) respectively. Odd ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated and a statistical significance was set for p-value < 0.05. Mean age was 32 ± 6 years and 70.9% female). BOS prevalence was 66.3% with 71.4% in female and 53.9% in male (p = 0.002). Of the 232 participants with BOS, 65.7%, 52% and 53.7% had moderate to high emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and decreased personal accomplishment respectively. Moderate to high PA as well as poor SQ were not significantly associated with BOS while longer sleep duration (> 8h) was associated with a greater odd of BOS. The prevalence of BOS was high among healthcare professionals. While PA showed no protective effects, high sleep duration could increase it risk.