The prevalence and associated factors of burnout among undergraduates in a university

The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and possible factors associated with burnout (BO) among undergraduates in a university setting in Dali. This cross-sectional study involved students enrolled in different specialties. The method of stratified random sampling was used to conduct the investigation. The questionnaire included Maslach Burnout Inventory and the influencing factors. The data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). The quantitative data were compared using t tests or ANOVA. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the relationship between BO risk and relevant influencing factors. The prevalence of study BO was 38.1%. Significant differences of the mean scores on BO and low personal efficacy were observed between men and women, with women obtaining a higher score (t = –2.588, P = .010; t = –2.929, P = .003; respectively). The scores of overall BO, emotional exhaustion (EE), and cynicism were low, whereas that of professional efficacy was higher for students with excellent marks (P = .000). Students majoring in liberal arts obtained low scores of overall BO, EE, and cynicism. Nevertheless, their score for professional efficacy was higher than those from other specializations (P < .05). Total BO, as the dependent variable, revealed that 3 predictors (social factors, school factors, and interpersonal communication) accounted for 30.8% of the variance (R(2) = 0.308). A regression analysis of EE as the dependent variable identified that 2 variables (social and school factors) explained 45.8% of the variance (R(2) = 0.458). BO among undergraduates is present in a university setting in Dali. A variety of factors including social factors, school factors, and interpersonal communication can influence the prevalence of BO. Therefore, society should strengthen employment and further understand psychology; schools and families must pay attention to the psychological development of college students.