Social predictors of burnout and strategies employed in the health care setting.

Background Information: Health care workers (HCWs) are prone to burn out, which can have an adverse effect on
their person and the patients to whom care is offered. This is dependent on socio-demographic features of workers,
as they are part of social groups. Also, strategies employed vary across individuals and health institutions and needs
to be assessed to aid future decisions. Aim: This study assessed burnout among health care workers, sociodemographic factors, as well as strategies employed. Methods: Data was collected from 320 HCWs in a tertiary
health care institution using self-administered questionnaires from June through August 2022 and stratified random
sampling technique was used. Burnout was assessed using the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI). It was a
descriptive cross sectional study. Data was collated and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences
version 21 (SPSS-21). Results: Age, gender, religion, marital status, income, cigarette smoking and alcohol
consumption were socio-demographic factors significantly associated with burnout among the respondents. Use of
stimulants, change in eating habits and change in sleeping pattern were strategies identified among respondents to
address burnout. Organizational measures used to mitigate burnout include: triaging, clinic separation, change in
work schedule, infection control measures, and provision of training of HCWs on infection control. Conclusion:
Socio-demographic factors are important predictors of burnout among HCWs and various strategies involving
individual and organizational approaches are currently been used. There is a need to address these factors using
safe and reliable strategies as this would help to improve the wellbeing of health care workers and address burnout
leading to a desirable outcome both for the worker and the health care institution.