Professional burnout and physical activity among healthcare personnel at a Regional Hospital in Paraguay
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30545/scientiamericana.2026.348Keywords:
Physical Activity, Burnout, Professional, Health Personnel, Occupational Health, Work-Related StressAbstract
Introduction: Professional burnout syndrome and physical inactivity are growing public health concerns among healthcare workers, with direct implications for care quality and health system sustainability. Objective: To identify the level of professional burnout and physical activity among healthcare staff at the Coronel Oviedo Regional Hospital in 2023, and to explore their association. Methodology: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 250 healthcare professionals selected by proportional stratified probability sampling. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS) and the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were applied. Fisher's exact test was used to assess the association between variables. Results: 69.6% (n=174) of participants were female, with a mean age of 35.0 years (SD=7.0). Low physical activity was identified in 59.6% (n=149). Moderate burnout was found in 51.2% (n=128) and high burnout in 22.0% (n=55). Emotional exhaustion was the most affected dimension. No statistically significant association was found between physical activity level and professional burnout (p=0.804). Conclusions: A high prevalence of professional burnout and insufficient physical activity were documented. The absence of statistical association suggests that burnout has a multifactorial etiology in which organizational factors play a predominant role.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Patricia Ramirez, Gloria Gonzalez Vazquez, Guiomar Viveros, Julieta Méndez, Deisy Galeano, Catalina Segovia

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