Levels of Burnout and Its Associated Factors Among Medical Laboratory Professionals in Public Hospitals Of Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Burnout is a work-related mental and physical syndrome resulting from long-term exposure to emotional and interpersonal stressors. The health of Medical Laboratory Professionals may be affected by prolonged exposure to massive stress, despite widely prevalent burnout but a few studies about the specific patterns of burnout in this profession. Objective: This study aimed to assess the levels of burnout and its associated factors among Medical Laboratory Professionals in public hospitals of Jimma zone, southwest Ethiopia, from May 1 - June 1, 2022. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted, on 153 study participants. Data collection was done using a pretested self-administered questionnaire. Data were verified, encoded, entered with EPI INFO Version 7, and analyzed using SPSS Version 21.0. Descriptive statistics were analyzed through cross-tabulation. Further, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis were computed to identify predictor variables significantly associated with the outcome variable. All variables with p-value ≤ 0.25 in bivariate analysis were entered into the multivariable logistic regression model to adjust possible confounders. Finally, variables with a p-value of <0.05 in the final analysis, were considered to explain the presence of association. Results: A total of 153 participants were included in this study. The majority, 89(58.2%) were aged <29 years with a mean ±SD. Forty-six (30.1%) reported suffering from a high level of burnout. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, monthly income of < 5000 Birr [(AOR =4.756, 95% CI (2.734 to 6.34)], abuse of drugs [(AOR= 0.083, 95% CI (0.034-0.247)], lack of resources [(AOR= 0.385, 95% CI (0.186-0.794)], relationship with management [(AOR= 3.498, 95% CI (1.43-7.63)], demonstrated a statistically significant association with the burnout. Conclusion and recommendations: Burnout among medical laboratory professionals was prevalent in Jimma zone public hospitals. According to the findings, the burnout of Medical Laboratory Professionals that has exposed them or otherwise put them at risk, on these grounds, significant reforms at the socio-demographic, individual, working environment, and organizational levels are required. To advance knowledge of burnout and ensure that professionals experiencing burnout receive the appropriate care and support, the management of public hospitals develops methods to assess levels of burnout and its associated factors.