Occupational stress and burnout among health care workers in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objective to estimate the pooled national burden of occupational stress, burnout and contributing factors among health care workers in Ethiopia. Data Sources both published and unpublished observational studies conducted on the burden of occupational stress and burnout among health workers in Ethiopia were included. Study Selection This systematic review and meta-analysis pursued the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline, and was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020166585). The eligibility of the studies was evaluated based on pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data Extraction Data extraction was conducted using major databases; Pub Med, Google Scholar, CINAHL, Scopes, Cochrane library, the Web of Science, and African Journals Online were involved in the review. Two reviewers extracted data independently using a standardized data extraction checklist on Microsoft excel. Any discrepancy was resolved by including the third reviewer for a possible consensus. Data Synthesis Fourteen studies, with a total of 4066 health care workers, were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled burden of occupational stress and burnout were 52.9% (95%CI, 46.2, 59.7) and 39.1% (95%CI, 23.9, 52.3) respectively. Major determinants of occupational stress were being female (OR, 1.9, 95% CI, 1.1–3.3), being younger (OR, 1.4, 95% CI, 1.03–1.9), having lower educational level (OR, 2.7, 95% CI, 1.05–7.2) and satisfied with a job (OR, 0.3, 95%CI, 0.2-0.5). Whereas, being married (OR, 0.7, 95% CI, 0.5–0.9), having a lower educational level (OR 0.5, 95%CI, 0.4-0.8) and working in shift (OR 0.7, 95%CI, 0.5-0.9) were significant predictors of burnout. Conclusions More than half and more than one-third of health care workers were affected by occupational stress and burnout respectively in Ethiopia and; socio-demographic and occupation-related factors were significant factors. Measures that improve job satisfaction, career development, and educational opportunities should be strengthened.