Burnout among Public Primary Education Staff in Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso)

Introduction: Burnout is a major occupational health problem today. Several factors could expose primary education staff to this condition. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the extent of burnout and associated factors among primary education workers in Bobo-Dioulasso. Method: This was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study that took place from September 18, 2023, to July 12, 2024, among the agents of a basic education district in Bobo-Dioulasso. The data were collected using a questionnaire and a clinical examination and analyzed with Stata software, version 16. Results: A total of 229 agents were included in the study. The mean age was 44.99 ± 7.03 years. The sex ratio was 0.55. Among the participants, 207 (90.39%) worked in classrooms, while 212 (92.58%) had an average duration of 8 hours per day. The prevalence of burnout was 54.15%. The prevalence of high emotional exhaustion, high depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment was 27.51%, 21.40%, and 45.85%, respectively. The study did not find any factor associated with burnout. However, classroom work and high class sizes were associated with emotional exhaustion. On the other hand, working more than 8 hours a day reduced the risk of low personal accomplishment among agents. Conclusion: The prevalence of burnout is high among primary education staff in Bobo-Dioulasso. Socio-professional factors are associated with the dimensions of the pathology. Prevention is necessary to protect the health of staff and increase academic performance.