Impact of the level of physical activities on emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, lack of personal accomplishment and burnout among students in the city province of Kinshasa

Abstract

The impact of the practice of physical activities on burnout and its dimensions remains very little documented among students living in subaerial African countries. The present study was to determine the impact of the level of physical activities on Burnout. In a cross-sectional analytical study, students from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Kinshasa were recruited by convenience in the period from February 1 to August 1, 2023. The parameters of interest included intensity, frequency, duration of the practice of physical activities and the dimensions of Burnout. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to research the influence between the intensity, frequency and duration of physical activity practice on emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, lack of personal accomplishment and burnout syndrome. The moderate and high level of physical activity practice significantly reduces emotional exhaustion by -14 (30.08 ± 13.04 vs 16.10 ± 10.38; p < 0.001), depersonalization by -7 (12. 45 ± 6.42 vs 5.89 ± 5.99; p < 0.001), burnout of -17 (28.17 ± 10.05 vs 11.00 ± 8.47; p < 0.001) and increases the personal accomplishment of students of the faculty of medicine of +31 (42.00 ± 10.7 vs 11.00 ± 8.47; p < 0.002). The duration of the practice of physical activities of 30 minutes or more positively influences personalization in 28% (p < 0.001), 75% personal accomplishment (p < 0.003) and 63% burnout (p < 0.004). Furthermore, the frequency of 3 or more times per week of practicing physical activities positively improves emotional exhaustion by 56% (p < 0.001), professional accomplishment by 79% (p < 0.002) and 83% by burnout (p < 0.001). Young medical school students with burnout are inactive and sedentary. The latter are associated with a decrease in personal accomplishment and an increase in burnout syndrome. The duration of physical activities of 30 to 45 minutes per day practiced three or more times per week positively improves emotional exhaustion, personalization, and personal accomplishment and burnout syndrome. The dissemination of information programs, particularly to medical students, seems urgent.