Prevalence and Predictors of Burnout Among Medical Interns and its
association with job satisfaction, A Cross-sectional Study from Oman
Abstract
This study examined the prevalence and predictors of burnout syndrome
early in the medical career. This cross-sectional study was conducted
among a random sample of medical interns enrolled in the Omani
internship program, in 2019. There were 180 interns participating in
this study, and they filled in a self-reported questionnaire that
included Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and job satisfaction survey
(JSS). The response rate was 71%. The prevalence of burnout and job
dissatisfaction were 15% and 22%, respectively. Individual burnout
subscale results were 33.3% for emotional exhaustion (EE), 37.2% for
depersonalization (DP) and 65.5% for low personal accomplishment (PA).
High levels of emotional exhaustion subscale were noted to be correlated
with living alone (odds ratio [OR] = 3.903, 95% confidence interval
[CI] = 1.150-13.241), the institute of graduation (National
University of Science and Technology graduates: OR = 4.515, 95% CI =
1.537-13.265; graduating abroad: OR = 5.494, 95% CI = 1.343-22.475, P =
0.018), having a physical illness (OR = 7.285, 95% CI = 1.976-26.857)
and being dissatisfied (OR = 16.488, 95% CI = 5.371-50.614). Variables
leading to high levels of depersonalization were the institute of
graduation (graduating abroad; OR = 0.239, 95% CI = 0.060-0.946),
having a physical illness (OR = 4.678, 95% CI = 1.498-14.608) and being
dissatisfied (OR = 2.900, 95% CI = 11.159-7.257; P = 0.023). Low
personal accomplishment was only predicted by having a physical illness
(OR = 0.258, 95% CI = 0.088-0.759). Job dissatisfaction was found to
elevate the risk of occupational burnout.