Burnout Among Health Lecturers: The Role of Physical Activity and Mental Workload
Keywords:
Burnout, Health Lecturers, IPAQ, M-TBI, Physical ActivityAbstract
Burnout syndrome is a multifaceted occupational health concern characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment. Its prevalence is increasing among nursing lecturers in academic environments. Within Islamic higher education institutions, nursing lecturers are responsible for teaching, research, community service, and religious obligations. This extensive workload may elevate the risk of burnout. The present study investigated the associations between physical activity, mental workload, and burnout syndrome among nursing lecturers at Islamic higher education institutions in West Java, Indonesia. A quantitative, descriptive-correlational methodology with a cross-sectional design was employed. All 90 permanent Nursing Lecturers from six Islamic nursing programs participated. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), mental workload with the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and burnout with the Maslach-Trisni Burnout Inventory (M-TBI; validity = 0.931; Cronbach’s α = 0.916). Data collection was conducted via a structured online questionnaire and analyzed using Kendall’s tau-b correlation (p < 0.05). The majority of participants reported low physical activity (84.4%), moderate mental workload (47.8%), and moderate burnout (60.0%). Statistical analysis indicated no significant association between physical activity and burnout (τ = 0.071; p = 0.493), nor between mental workload and burnout (τ = 0.061; p = 0.540). These findings suggest that in this population, neither physical activity nor mental workload is significantly associated with burnout syndrome. Other organizational or individual factors may contribute more substantially to burnout among Nursing Lecturers. Addressing burnout in this context requires comprehensive institutional strategies, such as workload management, promotion of physical activity, and provision of psychosocial support.
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