Epidemiol Health. 2023 Jun 15:e2023058. doi: 10.4178/epih.e2023058. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association between lack of compensation for COVID-19-related overtime work (LCCOW) and burnout among emergency medical service (EMS) providers in Seoul, South Korea.
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 693 EMS providers in Seoul, Korea. Participants were classified into 3 groups according to their experience of COVID-19-related overtime work and LCCOW: (i) “did not experience,” (ii) “experienced, was compensated,” and (iii) “experienced, was not compensated.” Burnout was measured using the Korean version of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, which has 3 subdomains: personal burnout (PB), work-related burnout (WRB), and citizen-related burnout (CRB). Multiple linear regression was applied to examine whether LCCOW was associated with burnout after adjusting for potential confounders.
RESULTS: In total, 74.2% of participants experienced COVID-19-related overtime work, and 14.6% of those who worked overtime experienced LCCOW. COVID-19-related overtime work showed a statistically non-significant association with burnout. However, the association differed by LCCOW. Compared to the “did not experience” group, the “experienced, was not compensated” group was associated with PB (β=10.519; 95% CI, 3.455‒17.584), WRB (β=10.339; 95% CI, 3.398‒17.280), and CRB (β=12.290; 95% CI, 6.900‒17.680), whereas no association was observed for the “experienced, was compensated” group. Furthermore, an analysis restricted to EMS providers who worked overtime due to COVID-19 showed that LCCOW was associated with PB (β=7.970; 95% CI, 1.064‒14.876), WRB (β=7.276; 95% CI, 0.270‒14.283), and CRB (β=10.000; 95% CI, 3.435‒16.565).
CONCLUSION: This study suggests that LCCOW could be critical in worsening burnout among EMS providers who worked overtime due to COVID-19.
PMID:37340845 | DOI:10.4178/epih.e2023058
