Occupational burnout in oncologists in Kazakhstan

Association Between Physical Activity and the Risk of Burnout in Health Care Workers: Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Burnout is a multidimensional psychological syndrome that arises from chronic workplace stress. Health care workers (HCWs), who operate in physically and emotionally exhausting work contexts, constitute a vulnerable group. This, coupled with its subsequent impact on patients and public economic resources, makes burnout a significant public health concern. Various self-care practices have been suggested to have a positive effect on burnout among HCWs. Of these, physical activity stands out for its ability to combine psychological, physiological, and biochemical mechanisms. In fact, it promotes psychological detachment from work and increases self-efficacy by inhibiting neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, increasing endorphin levels, enhancing mitochondrial function, and attenuating the hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal axis response to stress.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to conduct a systematic review of the evidence on the association between physical activity and burnout among HCWs.

METHODS

We considered HCWs, physical activity, and burnout, framing them as population, exposure, and outcome, respectively. We searched APA PsycArticles, MEDLINE, and Scopus until July 2022. We extracted relevant data on study design, methods to measure exposure and outcome, and statistical approaches.

RESULTS

Our analysis encompassed 21 independent studies. Although 10% (2/21) of the studies explicitly focused on physical activity, the remaining investigations were exploratory in nature and examined various predictors, including physical activity. The most commonly used questionnaire was the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Owing to the heterogeneity in definitions and cutoffs used, the reported prevalence of burnout varied widely, ranging from 7% to 83%. Heterogeneity was also observed in the measurement tools used to assess physical activity, with objective measures rarely used. In total, 14% (3/21) of the studies used structured questionnaires to assess different types of exercise, whereas most studies (18/21, 86%) only recorded the attainment of a benchmark or reported the frequency, intensity, or duration of exercise. The reported prevalence of physically active HCWs ranged from 44% to 87%. The analyses, through a variety of inferential approaches, indicated that physical activity is often associated with a reduced risk of burnout, particularly in the domains of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Furthermore, we compiled and classified a list of factors associated with burnout.

CONCLUSIONS

Our comprehensive overview of studies investigating the association between physical activity and burnout in HCWs revealed significant heterogeneity in definitions, measurements, and analyses adopted in the literature. To address this issue, it is crucial to adopt a clear definition of physical activity and make thoughtful choices regarding measurement tools and methodologies for data analysis. Our considerations regarding the measurement of burnout and the comprehensive list of associated factors have the potential to improve future studies aimed at informing decision-makers, thus laying the foundation for more effective management measures to address burnout.

Factors associated with burnout among frontline nurses in the post-COVID-19 epidemic era: a multicenter cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the risk of burnout among frontline nurses. However, the prevalence of burnout and its associated factors in the post-pandemic era remain unclear. This research aims to investigate burnout prevalence among frontline nurses in the post-pandemic period and pinpoint associated determinants in China.

METHODS

From April to July 2023, a cross-sectional study was carried out across multiple centers, focusing on frontline nurses who had been actively involved in the COVID-19 pandemic. The data collection was done via an online platform. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey was utilized to evaluate symptoms of burnout. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to pinpoint factors associated with burnout.

RESULTS

Of the 2210 frontline nurses who participated, 75.38% scored over the cut-off for burnout. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that factors like being female [odds ratio (OR) = 0.41, 95%CI = 0.29-0.58] and exercising 1-2 times weekly[OR = 0.53, 95%CI = 0.42-0.67] were protective factors against burnout. Conversely, having 10 or more night shifts per month[OR = 1.99, 95%CI = 1.39-2.84], holding a master's degree or higher[OR = 2.86, 95% CI = 1.59-5.15], poor health status[OR = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.93-3.08] and [OR = 2.82, 95%CI = 1.80-4.43], under virus infection[OR = 7.12, 95%CI = 2.10-24.17], and elevated work-related stress[OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.17-2.00] were all associated with an elevated risk of burnout.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that post-pandemic burnout among frontline nurses is influenced by several factors, including gender, monthly night shift frequency, academic qualifications, weekly exercise frequency, health condition, and viral infection history. These insights can inform interventions aimed at safeguarding the mental well-being of frontline nurses in the post-pandemic period.

Biomechanical analysis of wood processing work in tropical forest regions: A study in Midwest Brazil

In the wood processing industry, working with machines exposes workers to occupational risks. This study evaluates the biomechanics of work activities carried out in a wood processing operation in tropical forest regions to identify risks associated with the development of musculoskeletal injuries. Data were collected in a wood processing industry from a tropical forest region in Midwest Brazil. Forty forest workers were evaluated, equivalent to 100% of the population of the company participating in the study. Biomechanical movements were measured using the Three-Dimensional Biomechanical Model for Predicting Stances and Static Forces. There was a risk of injury to the joints of the upper limbs (wrists and shoulders), as well as to the torso. When splitting and manually stacking wood, a risk of spinal injury was identified. All workers had a high risk of developing injuries in all joints evaluated in addition to a risk of serious spinal injury. In this way, the development of these activities without any ergonomic interventions makes the risk of developing musculoskeletal injuries in the workers involved imminent, with consequent early professional incapacity.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Burnout Syndrome during COVID-19 Pandemic among Healthcare Providers in Thailand

Objective

To study prevalence, risk factors, and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic related to Burnout syndrome (BOS) among Thai healthcare providers (HCPs) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional study among HCPs, involved in caring for patients during the pandemic in two periods (1st period, May-Jun 2021, and 2nd period, Sep-Oct 2021). Data were distributed using electronic questionnaires. BOS was defined if respondents exhibited a high level of at least one domain in the Maslach Burnout Inventory criteria. The primary outcome was prevalence of BOS.

Results

Altogether, 2,027 and 1,146 respondents were enrolled in the 1st and 2nd periods, respectively. Most respondents were female (73.3, 68.2%). The top three job positions were physicians (49.2, 58.9%), nurses (41.2, 30.6%), and nursing assistants (4.8, 6.5%), respectively. No difference was found in overall prevalence of Burnout syndrome during the 1st and 2nd periods (73 vs. 73.5%, p=0.80). Using multivariate analysis, significant risk factors for Burnout syndrome in both periods were (1) living with family (odds ratio (OR) 1.3 and 1.5), (2) tertiary care hospital (OR 1.92 and 2.13), (3) nurse (OR 1.38 and 2.29), (4) nursing assistant (OR 0.92 and 4.81), (5) salary ≤40,000 THB (OR 1.53 and 1.53), (6) >20 patients per shift (OR 1.55 and 1.88), (7) >6 shifts after hours monthly (OR 1.26 and 1.49), and (8) ≤1 rest day weekly (OR 1.3 and 1.4).

Conclusion

We found a high prevalence of Burnout syndrome among Thai HCPs during the pandemic. Knowing those risk factors may provide a strategy to BOS during the pandemic.

Burnout syndrome in different teaching levels during the covid-19 pandemic in Brazil

BACKGROUND

This article's purpose is to compare burnout syndrome indicators at different levels of teaching in Brazil during the covid-19 pandemic. The comparison also considers the teachers' quality of life and health, working conditions, and digital competence.

METHODS

The hypotheses of this study are that there are statistically significant differences in teachers' burnout rates, quality of life, working conditions, and digital competences depending on the teaching level. A mixed-methods ex-post-facto survey involved 438 Brazilian teachers, with a mean age of 42.93 years (SD = 9.66), 330 females (75%) and 108 males (25%). Data were collected through an online questionnaire. Statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests was performed to compare groups, the Tukey test for paired comparison of the analyzed groups, and the chi-square to verify the association between variables.

RESULTS

Higher levels of digital competence were associated with lower burnout syndrome scores. Elementary and middle school teachers presented worse quality of life and health indexes. Adapting pedagogical work involved learning but also overwork, exhaustion, and frustration.

CONCLUSIONS

The study concludes that basic education teachers had higher burnout rate scores than higher education teachers during the covid-19 pandemic and that early childhood education should be treated as a separate category.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) Research Ethics Committee (4.432.063, December 7, 2020). Informed consent was obtained from all subjects.