Current situation and relationship between occupational stress, burn-out and sleep quality among ambulance drivers: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective To understand the current status of occupational stress, occupational burn-out and sleep quality among ambulance drivers in Hengyang, China and to analyse the relationship between occupational stress, occupational burn-out and sleep quality of ambulance drivers.Design A cross-sectional study.Setting Prehospital emergency centre of third-class hospital in Hengyang, China.Participants From October 2023 to December 2023, a cross-sectional survey was conducted, with 213 ambulance drivers from Hengyang, China, selected as participants.Methods General demographic questionnaires, the Chinese Occupational Stress Inventory, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used for data collection and analysis.Results Occupational stress among ambulance drivers was positively correlated with occupational burn-out and sleep quality (r=0.528, 0.447, both p<0.01) while occupational burn-out was positively correlated with sleep quality (r=0.394, p<0.01). Occupational burn-out partially mediated the relationship between occupational stress and sleep quality among ambulance drivers, with a mediation effect value of 0.168, accounting for 26.09% of the total effect.Conclusion The sleep quality of ambulance drivers in Hengyang, China is suboptimal, with occupational stress directly predicting sleep quality. Occupational burn-out plays a partial positive mediating role between occupational stress and sleep quality among ambulance drivers. Reducing occupational stress and burn-out is beneficial for improving the sleep quality of ambulance drivers.