Burnout and its associated factors among medical laboratory professionals in public hospitals of Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract Burnout is a work-related mental and physical syndrome resulting from long-term exposure to emotional and interpersonal stressors. Despite widespread burnout and a paucity of studies examining the precise patterns of burnout in this field, Medical Laboratory Professionals may be impacted by extended exposure to extreme stress. The study aimed to assess the magnitude of burnout and associated factors among Medical Laboratory Professionals in public hospitals of Jimma zone, southwest Ethiopia, from May 1 - June 1, 2022. Methods and Material: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted, on 153 study participants. Data was collected using a pretested self-administered questionnaire and then verified, encoded, entered with EPI INFO Version 7, and analyzed using SPSS Version 21.0. Results: A total of 153 people participated in this study. The average age was under 29 years, at 89 (58%), with a standard deviation of (29.95 ± 4.2). 36 respondents, or 30.1%, said they were highly burned out. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a statistically significant association between burnout and daily cigarette use [(AOR = 1.74, 95% CI (0.94 to 3.91)], drug abuse [(AOR = 0.083, 95% CI (0.034–0.247)], insufficient sleep [(AOR = 0.237, 95% CI (0.098–0.643)], and lack of a family relationship [(AOR = 4.73, 95% CI (1.82–7.324)]. Conclusion and recommendations: Drinking alcohol, abuse of drugs, smoking cigarettes for several days, lack of adequate sleep, and not having a family relationship were significant predictor variables for burnout in Medical Laboratory Professionals. The results support the development of interventions to enhance mental health and additional research.