The relationship between burnout, cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory markers among resident doctors in Nigeria

Objectives: The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between burnout, cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory markers among a sample of resident doctors in Nigeria. Methods: This study adopted a cross-sectional design, and it investigated 203 resident doctors from two tertiary hospitals in Oyo State, South-Western Nigeria. Data on the participants’ sociodemographic characteristics, cardiovascular risk profile, burnout status (using the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey tool) were collected. The collected data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 software. For all tests, a two-sided p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: This study found that dyslipidemia (77.3%), hypertension (15.8%), obesity (11.8%) and diabetes mellitus (10.3%) were the most common cardiovascular risks among the study participants, with no significant difference across genders. The prevalence of burnout was 38.9%. Depression was strongly associated with burnout, with a significant correlation between Beck’s depression inventory and Maslach burnout inventory subdomains. No traditional cardiovascular risk factors were significantly associated with burnout, except for depression, a nontraditional cardiovascular risk factor. The correlation between Beck’s depression inventory and the subdomains of Maslach burnout inventory was also significant (emotional exhaustion: p < 0.0001, depersonalization: p < 0.0001, and personal accomplishment: p < 0.006). Conclusion: The interplay between burnout, cardiovascular risk factors, and mental health conditions which has significant consequences for resident doctors' well-being and future health risks was established in this study. Addressing burnout and its cardiovascular potential implications is crucial for this population's health and overall healthcare costs.