Association of burnout and working environment conditions in respiratory care professionals in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Front Public Health. 2024 Dec 5:12:1434472. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1434472. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Introduction: Burnout is a pervasive issue in healthcare, and it impacts both the wellbeing of healthcare professionals and the quality of patient care. This study examines factors associated with burnout and working environment among respiratory therapists in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from respiratory therapists. We collected 315 questionnaires including burnout assessment. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between various variables and the likelihood of experiencing severe burnout and personal achievement problems.

Results: Marital status was a significant predictor of severe burnout (p = 0.001), with single individuals having 8.2 times higher odds than married individuals. Working longer than 44 h per week was associated with a 19.3-fold increase in the odds of severe personal achievement issues compared to those working 40-44 h per week (p < 0.001). Age, gender, living arrangements, education, employment status, and salary level were not significant predictors of severe burnout or personal achievement issues.

Conclusion with discussion: The findings highlight that marital status and extended working hours are significantly associated with increased burnout among respiratory therapists in Saudi Arabia. These results underscore the importance of social support networks and work-life balance in mitigating burnout risks within this profession.

Keywords: burnout; multinomial logistic regression; personal achievement; professional factors; respiratory therapists; sociodemographic factors.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Burnout, Professional* / epidemiology
  • Burnout, Professional* / psychology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Health Personnel / psychology
  • Health Personnel / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Marital Status / statistics & numerical data
  • Middle Aged
  • Respiratory Therapy / statistics & numerical data
  • Saudi Arabia / epidemiology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Working Conditions
  • Workplace* / psychology

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.