Effect of physical activity levels on job burnout at İzmir provincial health department staff

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the Izmir Provincial Health Department Staff`s physical activity level, stages of job burnouts, effectors on job burnouts and to figure out the affects of physical activity level on their job burnouts. Method: This is a cros-sectional and analytic study. Target population of this study is 375 employees of Izmir Provincial Health Department. We reached 78%(294) of 375 employees. The dependent variables are job burnout and physical activity levels. The independent variables are age, gender, level of education, marital status, vocation, work position and Physical Activity level. Physical Activity level was determined using "International Physical Activity Questionnaire" and burnout degree with "Maslach Burnout Inventory". Mann-Whitney U, ANOVA, Kruskal Wallis, t test and logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Findings: Findings indicate that all participants have low level of physical activity and low degree of burnout. There was a statistically significant and negative oriented relationship between physical activity level with Emotional Exhaustion (p=0,001) and Personal Accomplishment (p=0,01) degree of occupational burnouts. OR value was 1.93 (%95 GA 1.21-3.06) for Emotional Exhaustion and 2.22 (%95 GA 1.33-3.71) for Personal Accomplishment. Emotional exhaustion level of middle-aged women, the highly educated and health workers to be significantly higher; personal accomplishment level is significantly high in middle aged health workers. Depersonalization level was not significantly affected by any of the variables. Results and Recommendations: Level of physical activity was lower in women, highly educated and health workers of izmir Provincial Health Department Staff, but the level of emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment levels were higher. For this reason attempts to increase physical activity should focus on these groups. Employees in high-risk group should be advised to have a physically active life style by increasing their knowledge about benefits of physical activity. It is recommended to set up a small fitness facility even a separate area for female workers to encourage their use of such facilities before, during, or after work hours. Key words: Job burnout, physical activity level and health worker