A Cross-Sectional Study on Physical Activity and Burnout among Family Physicians in Slovenia during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are the Results Alarming Enough to Convince Decision-Makers to Support Family Medicine?
Physical activity has a positive effect on general health, but its influence on burnout remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the association between physical activity and the incidence of burnout in Slovenian family physicians (FPs) and family medicine trainees (FMTs) during the C...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-12-01
|
| Series: | Healthcare |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/1/28 |
| _version_ | 1797358807359160320 |
|---|---|
| author | Ksenija Tušek Bunc Janja Uplaznik Polona Selič-Zupančič |
| author_facet | Ksenija Tušek Bunc Janja Uplaznik Polona Selič-Zupančič |
| author_sort | Ksenija Tušek Bunc |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Physical activity has a positive effect on general health, but its influence on burnout remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the association between physical activity and the incidence of burnout in Slovenian family physicians (FPs) and family medicine trainees (FMTs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated the already-existing problem of burnout. We conducted a cross-sectional observational study among Slovenian family physicians and FMTs in which sociodemographic variables, the type and duration of physical activity, and an assessment of burnout were collected using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Comparisons between groups were made using the independent-samples <i>t</i>-test, Fisher’s exact test, and the Wilcoxon sign-rank test. A value of <i>p</i> < 0.05 determined the limit of statistical significance. Of 1230 FPs and FMTs invited to participate, 282 completed the survey (22.9% response rate); there were 243 (86.2%) FPs and 39 (13.8%) FMTs. The overall rating for burnout during the pandemic was high, at 48.6% of FPs and FMTs; 62.8% of respondents reported a high rating for emotional exhaustion and 40.1% for depersonalization. Compared to FMTs, emotional exhaustion and total burnout scores were higher for FPs (<i>p</i> < 0.001 and <i>p</i> = 0.010, respectively), but work status was not related to personal acomplishment, which 53.5% of all participants rated as low. Physical activity did not appear to be a statistically significant factor in the occurrence of burnout during the pandemic. Therefore, work status or occupational role (FP vs. FMT) should be thoroughly investigated in the future along with some other factors and a better response rate. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:07:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-94c3bb4ac0794245adba8d2d8be99d34 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:07:36Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-94c3bb4ac0794245adba8d2d8be99d342024-01-10T14:57:20ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322023-12-011212810.3390/healthcare12010028A Cross-Sectional Study on Physical Activity and Burnout among Family Physicians in Slovenia during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are the Results Alarming Enough to Convince Decision-Makers to Support Family Medicine?Ksenija Tušek Bunc0Janja Uplaznik1Polona Selič-Zupančič2Dr. Adolf Drolc Health Center Maribor, 2000 Maribor, SloveniaDepartment of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaDepartment of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaPhysical activity has a positive effect on general health, but its influence on burnout remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the association between physical activity and the incidence of burnout in Slovenian family physicians (FPs) and family medicine trainees (FMTs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated the already-existing problem of burnout. We conducted a cross-sectional observational study among Slovenian family physicians and FMTs in which sociodemographic variables, the type and duration of physical activity, and an assessment of burnout were collected using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Comparisons between groups were made using the independent-samples <i>t</i>-test, Fisher’s exact test, and the Wilcoxon sign-rank test. A value of <i>p</i> < 0.05 determined the limit of statistical significance. Of 1230 FPs and FMTs invited to participate, 282 completed the survey (22.9% response rate); there were 243 (86.2%) FPs and 39 (13.8%) FMTs. The overall rating for burnout during the pandemic was high, at 48.6% of FPs and FMTs; 62.8% of respondents reported a high rating for emotional exhaustion and 40.1% for depersonalization. Compared to FMTs, emotional exhaustion and total burnout scores were higher for FPs (<i>p</i> < 0.001 and <i>p</i> = 0.010, respectively), but work status was not related to personal acomplishment, which 53.5% of all participants rated as low. Physical activity did not appear to be a statistically significant factor in the occurrence of burnout during the pandemic. Therefore, work status or occupational role (FP vs. FMT) should be thoroughly investigated in the future along with some other factors and a better response rate.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/1/28physical activityburnoutprimary carefamily physicianfamily medicine traineeCOVID-19 pandemic |
| spellingShingle | Ksenija Tušek Bunc Janja Uplaznik Polona Selič-Zupančič A Cross-Sectional Study on Physical Activity and Burnout among Family Physicians in Slovenia during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are the Results Alarming Enough to Convince Decision-Makers to Support Family Medicine? Healthcare physical activity burnout primary care family physician family medicine trainee COVID-19 pandemic |
| title | A Cross-Sectional Study on Physical Activity and Burnout among Family Physicians in Slovenia during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are the Results Alarming Enough to Convince Decision-Makers to Support Family Medicine? |
| title_full | A Cross-Sectional Study on Physical Activity and Burnout among Family Physicians in Slovenia during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are the Results Alarming Enough to Convince Decision-Makers to Support Family Medicine? |
| title_fullStr | A Cross-Sectional Study on Physical Activity and Burnout among Family Physicians in Slovenia during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are the Results Alarming Enough to Convince Decision-Makers to Support Family Medicine? |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Cross-Sectional Study on Physical Activity and Burnout among Family Physicians in Slovenia during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are the Results Alarming Enough to Convince Decision-Makers to Support Family Medicine? |
| title_short | A Cross-Sectional Study on Physical Activity and Burnout among Family Physicians in Slovenia during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are the Results Alarming Enough to Convince Decision-Makers to Support Family Medicine? |
| title_sort | cross sectional study on physical activity and burnout among family physicians in slovenia during the first year of the covid 19 pandemic are the results alarming enough to convince decision makers to support family medicine |
| topic | physical activity burnout primary care family physician family medicine trainee COVID-19 pandemic |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/1/28 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ksenijatusekbunc acrosssectionalstudyonphysicalactivityandburnoutamongfamilyphysiciansinsloveniaduringthefirstyearofthecovid19pandemicaretheresultsalarmingenoughtoconvincedecisionmakerstosupportfamilymedicine AT janjauplaznik acrosssectionalstudyonphysicalactivityandburnoutamongfamilyphysiciansinsloveniaduringthefirstyearofthecovid19pandemicaretheresultsalarmingenoughtoconvincedecisionmakerstosupportfamilymedicine AT polonaseliczupancic acrosssectionalstudyonphysicalactivityandburnoutamongfamilyphysiciansinsloveniaduringthefirstyearofthecovid19pandemicaretheresultsalarmingenoughtoconvincedecisionmakerstosupportfamilymedicine AT ksenijatusekbunc crosssectionalstudyonphysicalactivityandburnoutamongfamilyphysiciansinsloveniaduringthefirstyearofthecovid19pandemicaretheresultsalarmingenoughtoconvincedecisionmakerstosupportfamilymedicine AT janjauplaznik crosssectionalstudyonphysicalactivityandburnoutamongfamilyphysiciansinsloveniaduringthefirstyearofthecovid19pandemicaretheresultsalarmingenoughtoconvincedecisionmakerstosupportfamilymedicine AT polonaseliczupancic crosssectionalstudyonphysicalactivityandburnoutamongfamilyphysiciansinsloveniaduringthefirstyearofthecovid19pandemicaretheresultsalarmingenoughtoconvincedecisionmakerstosupportfamilymedicine |