DOI: 10.4025/jphyseduc.v30i1.3059
Original Article
INFLUENCE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON MILITARY POLICE OFFICERS’
BURNOUT
INFLUÊNCIA DA ATIVIDADE FÍSICA NO BURNOUT EM POLICIAIS MILITARES
1
1
2
Deiveskan Serra Soares , Cristina Carvalho de Melo , Josiane Lopes da Silva Serra Soares and Franco
1
Noce
1
Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil.
2
UNA University Center, Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil.
RESUMO
A literatura aponta que os policiais estão entre os profissionais vulneráveis à síndrome de burnout, porem há poucos estudos
que investigam esta síndrome e a associam a uma estratégia de enfrentamento. A hipótese deste artigo é de que o exercício
físico pode ter associação significativa em relação ao burnout funcionando como elemento de proteção. Partindo deste ponto,
o presente estudo avaliou os níveis de atividade física e a percepção das dimensões da síndrome de burnout em uma amostra
de policiais militares na cidade de Belo Horizonte. Foram utilizados três instrumentos para coleta de dados, cada qual com
um objetivo específico: o Inventário de burnout de Maslach (MBI-HSS), o Questionário Internacional de Atividade Física
(IPAQ) e um questionário sociodemografico. Os resultados mostraram uma prevalência da síndrome de burnout de 64%,
principalmente entre os classificados com baixo nível de atividade física e os que executam a atividade de trabalho
operacional. Conclui-se que variáveis que se referem a aspectos sócio-afetivos influenciam a percepção desta síndrome assim
como o sedentarismo, tendo sido, através das variáveis que apresentaram significância estatística, traçado um perfil do
policial sedentário e vulneral ao burnout e constatado que os níveis de atividade física apresentam associação com os
indicadores de burnout.
Palavras-chave: Atividade física. Síndrome de burnout. Policial militar.
ABSTRACT
The literature points out that cops are among professionals vulnerable to the burnout syndrome, but there are only few studies
that investigate this syndrome and associate it with a coping strategy. The hypothesis of this article is that physical exercise
may correlate significantly with burnout, working as a protective element. From this perspective, the present study assessed
physical activity levels and the perception of burnout syndrome dimensions in a sample of military police officers in the city
of Belo Horizonte. Three instruments were employed for data collection, each one with a specific objective: the Maslach
Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and a sociodemographic
questionnaire. Results showed a prevalence of 64% for the burnout syndrome, especially among those individuals classified
with low physical education level and those who perform operational roles. It is concluded that variables referring to socioaffective aspects influence the perception of this syndrome, just as sedentarism; by means of the variables that presented
statistical significance, it was possible to determine the profile of a sedentary cop vulnerable to burnout, with the finding that
physical activity levels associate with burnout indicators.
Keywords: Physical activity. Burnout syndrome. Military Police Officers.
Introduction
Among several diseases that affect workers, mental ones are ever-increasingly
prevalent. According to data from the World Health Organization1,2, minor mental disorders,
such as anxious, depressive and somatoform symptoms affect around 30% of occupied
workers, and it is estimated that, by 2020, occupational stress will be the second most
common cause of work leave2. In this context, military police officers stand out because, due
to the characteristics of their jobs, they are more vulnerable to mental disorders that may be
aggravated or caused by work, with highlight to occupational stress and the burnout
syndrome3-6.
As a result of excessive exposure to risk, cops may develop acute and chronic
symptoms of psychological suffering, occupational stress and, consequently, burnout.
However, Maslach and Leiter7 observed that “burnout is not only a personal problem, it is a
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Soares et al.
workplace problem”. Moraes, Ferreira and Rocha8 came to a similar conclusion when
conducting a case study with a sample of 1,152 military police officers in Minas Gerais.
These authors argue that a major source of dissatisfaction in Minas Gerais Military Police lies
on aspects related to organizational structure. The way that factors translate in the job of a
cop, be they linked to organizational structure or the precarization of labor, may bring harmful
implications to this worker’s physical and psychological health, which may explain the high
rates of absenteism9 reported in this category.
Guimarães et al.10 conducted a study with 240 military police officers and 234 civil
police officers in the city of Campo Grande, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, in order to
verify the occurrence of the burnout syndrome and analyze these professionals’ Quality of
Life. The sample as a whole presented 56% of burnout levels classified as “serious”, and
excessive workload as to Quality of Life assessment. Results found indicated the vulnerability
of this professional category to the burnout syndrome.
Additionally to structural characteristics that make cops a risk population for burnout,
Souza and Patrocínio11 showed that they are seen by society as the second professional
category that most deserves the worst adjectives. A survey conducted in Brazil, in 2010, by
market research institute GFK12, showed that the trust put in the military police is way below
the global average. In said survey, the military police officer job came 15th in the Brazilian
rank of profession trustworthiness, with 51% of population trust, while the global average was
75%. For cops, lack of intrinsic rewards (such as being recognized by society and/or the
feeling of being doing something important and doing it well) is associated with feelings of
inefficacy and reduced Professional efficiency3. There are authors that approach burnout and
occupational stress as one same construct13, while others14,15 understand burnout as a
chronification of occupational stress. However, burnout is herein understood as the result of a
long process of attempts to deal with stress. The relational perspective present in burnout is
what differs it from occupational stress. Such a perspective is expressed by individuals
through defensive attitudes when they reach the Depersonalization stage, which is a
fundamental characteristic of burnout16.
The term burnout was first used in 1953 by psychiatrists Schwartz and Will17, and then
again in the 1970s by physician and psychoanalyst Herbert Freudenberg18, who, while treating
his patients, observed that many presented a gradual process of exhaustion in mood, and/or
demotivation. Such a process lasted approximately a year and was followed by physical and
psychological symptoms that denoted a particular state of being “exhausted”. The expression
“burnout” is also referred to as “depletion” and began to be used as a metaphor to explain the
suffering of men in the workplace19.
In their studies, Maslach and Jackson16 concluded that this syndrome is more evident
in professionals who deal with people or in assistance-oriented professions, such as those of
doctors, nurses, teachers and cops. To these authors, burnout results from prolonged exposure
to occupational risks and lack of social support. In their studies, three aspects or dimensions
that compose this syndrome were identified: Emotional exhaustion (EE), Depersonalization
(DE) and Professional efficiency (PE).
Emotional exhaustion (EE) is characterized by lack or absence of energy and
enthusiasm, as well as a feeling of depleted resources, that is, it manifests physically and
emotionally with symptoms of effective fatigue about work and difficulties to deal with
emotions19. Depersonalization (DE) or Cynicism refers to the context in which the
professional shows, through their attitudes, an emotional insensitivity towards others19.
Professional efficiency (PE) was originally called Personal accomplishment reduced16.
However, changes have been suggested to name this dimension in order to make this
construct easier to understand in languages other than English, since this dimension assesses
positive aspects that, in a clinical burnout case, are reduced20. PE is defined as a worker’s
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inclination to make self-evaluations as to their performance at work. This dimension of
burnout evidences a feeling of dissatisfaction with labor activities involving personal
achievements and accomplishments concerning the job, as well as their performance while
executing their professional activity19.
Researchers have been discussing the importance of physical exercise21,22 as a coping
strategy that prevents several physical and/or psychological diseases and improves quality of
life, whether independently or combined with other lifestyle characteristics. Nevertheless,
there are few studies approaching the burnout syndrome from this perspective. There are not
many researches, especially in Brazil, that investigate the relationship between physical
exercise, as a coping strategy, and the burnout syndrome23. It is known that exercising
regularly contributes to lowering anxiety24, reducing depression symptoms24, improving
cognitive functions25, allowing a quicker cardiovascular recovery26 and improving sleep
quality27.
Thus, bearing in mind the physiological28,29 and psychological29 benefits derived from
exercising to stress, the question raised herein refers to whether these benefits could be
applied to military police officers concerning the burnout syndrome, in its three dimensions.
Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the perception of physical activity levels
and indicators of the burnout syndrome in military police officers in the city of Belo
Horizonte. The relevance of this research lies on deepening the comprehension around the
relationship between Physical activity and the burnout syndrome, seeking to analyze this
relationship in an occupational context.
Methods
Participants
This study had the participation of 195 military police officers, both males and
females, ranked as soldiers, corporals and sergeants, composing a non-probabilistic sample by
convenience, out of a population of 230 cops. The study did not include officership ranks
because, in the collection period, sampling access was allowed only to teams composed of
enlisted officers, who, on the occasion, were taking a basic police training course held in Belo
Horizonte, Minas Gerais.
The research intended to include as many participants as possible, so the inclusion
criterion was to be an active military police officer and join the research freely by signing a
free and informed consent form.
Instruments
The present study employed the following self-applied instruments:
Sociodemographic and situational data questionnaire: This instrument aimed to assess
some institutional and quality of life aspects regarding the military police officers, as well as
collect additional pieces of information, such as: sex, age, education, service time, activity
field, and affectivity.
Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), version for Human Services: This questionnaire
was validated in Brazil by means of several studies30,11. The inventory contains 22 questions,
with nine being linked to Emotional exhaustion (EE), five to Depersonalization (DE) and
eight to Professional efficiency (PE). Each item indicates the frequency of answers on a Likert
scale ranging from zero to six points; the scale for the DE and PE constructs is positive, while
for PE it is negative or inversion scoring.
International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ): It is a free and public
questionnaire proposed by the World Health Organization and validated in Brazil32 to
determine people’s physical activity levels in their many aspects. The study participants had
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Soares et al.
their data tabulated and classified according to orientations by the IPAQ itself, which divides
and names categories as sedentary, insufficiently active, active and very active. “Active” and
“very active” individuals were counted as a single group, classified as “Active”, and so were
categories “Insufficiently active A” and “Insufficiently active B”, which were classified
simply as “Insufficiently active”.
Procedures
After formal authorization from the institution, the responsible parties were contacted
to be informed about the research objectives, relevance and methodological procedures. The
sample was split into groups, with 20 to 30 participants each. The instruments were applied in
the same order for each group and always in the morning. This study complied with all norms
set forth by the Brazilian National Health Council (Resolution 466-2012) with respect to
research involving humans. It was submitted for the approval of the Research Ethics
Committee of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, which approved the conduction of the
research under protocol No 619.728.
All study volunteers and participants were informed about the research objectives,
relevance and methodological procedures, and signed a free and informed consent form.
Data Analysis
Statistical analyses, to describe categorical variables, used absolute and relative
frequencies, while measures of central tendency, dispersion and position were used for
describing quantitative variables.
To select significant variables to explain burnout indicators (EE – Emotional
exhaustion; DP – Depersonalization; PE – Professional efficiency), the Stepwise method was
employed33. The Stepwise is one of the most popular methods for selection of variables in
Regression Analysis context, being a mix of the Backward and the Forward methods. For the
Forward method (criterion for inputting variables in the multivariate regression analysis),
univariate analyses were used, adopting a significance level of 25%. For correlation analysis,
Spearman’s test was applied33.
The selected variables entered the Multiple Poisson Regression34, with the Backward
method being applied at this stage, which is the procedure of removing, one by one, variables
with the highest p-value; this procedure was repeated until only significant variables were left
in the model. For the Backward method, a 5% significance level was adopted. Because overor under-dispersion are very common in Poisson model, the Quasi-likelihood method35 was
used for estimating the model, thus allowing the estimation of robust variances for these
phenomena. To verify the quality of Poisson regression models, adjusted R2 was calculated36.
To verify sociodemographic variables related to physical activity level, the CochranArmitage test for trend was employed37. The software used for the analysis was R, version
3.0.3.
Results
A total of 92% of the individuals were males, 29% were single, 66% were married and
61% had kids. About education, 3% had completed elementary school, 50% had completed
high school, 25% had a college degree, and 23% had not completed higher education. As for
functional role, 74% of the individuals performed operational ones, while 26% held
administrative positions. Concerning shifts, 66% worked during the day, 27% at night, and
7% alternated between both shifts, with 81% of the individuals working on a fixed schedule,
and 19% on a rotating schedule.
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Influence of physical activity on Cops’ burnout
With respect to situational characteristics, 38% were concerned or sad about
something, 89% had an affective relationship and 24% had some problem in said relationship,
22% faced some type of problem with relatives, 18% were going through financial instability,
31% of the individuals had someone in their families suffering from depression, 13% had a
disease, 17% took medication regularly, 28% reported having experienced a traumatic
situation (occurrences with gun shots and/or physically injuring themselves or others). About
the emotional perception of those who had experienced a traumatic situation, 24% claimed
they were getting over it, 31% suffered a little, 28% suffered moderately, and 17% still
suffered a lot.
Besides, 77% of the participants claimed to exercise regularly, 93% were used to
engage in leisure activities, and 93% had a belief or religion, 53% out of whom were
practicing believers.
As for military rank, the sample was composed of enlisted officers: 27% of soldiers,
29% of corporals, and 44% of sergeants.
Figure 1 shows that the physical inactivity prevalence (sedentary + insufficiently
active) among the cops participating in this study was 58%, and the percentage of police
officers considered as “Active” was 42%.
Figure 1. Physical activity levels of military police officers participating in the study,
classified according to the IPAQ
Source: The authors
Figure 2 shows that Administrative functional roles (internal service) have a higher
prevalence of physical inactivity (sedentary + insufficiently active) than Operational ones
(external service) do.
Figure 2. Physical activity levels according to the military police officers’ functional roles
Source: The authors
However, Figure 3 shows that operational functional roles have a higher number of
sedentary individuals.
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Figure 3. Detailing of physical activity levels according to the military police officers’ roles
Source: The authors
Table 1 displays a comparison between physical activity levels and independent
variables that presented statistical significance (p=value < 0.05). Thus, it can be pointed out
that this is the profile of those who tend to exercise more: individuals without children (pvalue = 0.028); those who do not take medication (p-value = 0.049); and individuals who
engage in leisure activities (p-value = 0.034). Another piece of data is that 77% of the cops
claimed to exercise regularly (p-value = 0.01), 12% out of whom were classified as
“sedentary”, 25% as “insufficiently active” and 42% as “active”.
Table 1. Physical activity levels and independent variables that presented statistical
significance (p < 0.05)
Questions
Children
Medication use
Engagement in physical activities
Engagement in leisure activities
Answer
No
No
Yes
Yes
Physical activity levels
Sedentary Insuf. Active
Active
n
%
n
%
n
%
19 9%
17
8%
41
21%
43 22%
45
24%
74
38%
25 12%
48
25%
77
42%
46 22%
53
26%
80
40%
p-value
0.028
0.049
0.001
0.034
Source: The authors
Table 2 displays results for burnout levels, including general burnout. In this
classification, burnout characterizes any individual who had at least one indicator classified as
“Serious”. A total of 64% of the cops participating in the study presented at least one
indicator classified as “Serious”, and 26% presented a general burnout index classified as
“Moderate”, that is, they did not present any “Serious” classification, but presented at least
one “Moderate” classification”. Moreover, 10% of the sample was classified as “Light”, that
is, they reached this classification for the three assessed indicators; in the individualized
analysis of indicators, depersonalization reached the highest index – 49%.
Table 2. Burnout indexes found in the sample
General burnout
Emotional exhaustion
Depersonalization
Professional efficiency
Light
10%
46%
21%
41%
Moderate
26%
25%
30%
31%
Serious
64%
29%
49%
28%
Source: The authors
Figure 4 displays a comparison between burnout indicators and functional roles. For
this analysis, the individuals were split into two groups, according to their roles (Operational
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Influence of physical activity on Cops’ burnout
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and Administrative) so that the analysis of each group could be run separately. It is worth
highlighting that the Operational functional role had a higher percentage of individuals with
indexes within the “Serious” classification for burnout indicators on the Depersonalization
(DE) and Professional efficiency (PE) subscales, with DE at 53% and PE at 32%, while for
the Administrative functional role, the DE subscale stood at 35%, and the PE subscale, at
16%.
Figure 4. Burnout indicators (EE, DE, PE) by functional role
Source: The authors
Analyzing the correlation between age and burnout levels, the age variable presented
statistical significance (p < 0.05) in relation to EE (r = -0.167; p=0.019) and DE (r = -0.144;
p=0.045), through a negative correlation; and positive as to the correlation with the PE
subscale (r = -0.154; p=0.031), indicating that the levels of these indicators improve with age.
Figure 5. Burnout indicators (EE, DE, PE) by physical activity level
Source: The authors
Figure 5 shows the prevalence of burnout indicators by physical activity level. Thus, it
is possible to observe that the physical activity level classified as “Active” has a smaller
percentage of individuals with burnout indicators classified as “Light” – 21% for EE, 8.2%
for DE, and 19.5% for PE.
Table 3 displays a comparison between the independent variables that presented
statistical significance (p < 0.05) and burnout indicators (EE, DE and PE) in the Multivariate
Regression Analysis, while Table 4 shows the variables that were then subjected to the
Multiple Poisson Regression.
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Table 3. Independent variables with statistical significance (p < 0.05) and burnout indicators
(EE, DE and PE) in the Multivariate Regression Analysis
Variable
Physical activity level
Functional role
Education
Depression in the family
Engagement in leisure
activities
Something saddening
Recent trauma experienced
Problem with relatives
Financial instability
Work shift
Regular physical exercise
Emotional perception of
the trauma
Relationship problems
Answer
Insuf. active
Operational
Higher
Yes
DE
x
sd
9.1 0.7
10.9 0.5
Burnout indicators
EE
p-value
x
sd p-value
0.041
0.015
21.7 1.2
0.038
22
1.4
0.029
No
25.8
1.6
0.019
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Day and
Night
Yes
23.8
23.6
22.7
25.5
1.4
1.6
1.8
1.8
0.001
0.002
0.040
0.001
I suffer a lot
11
28.5
22.6
1.8
Yes
12.3
0.8
0.012
PE
sd p-value
x
37.2 2.2
0.008
37.2 0.6
0.013
0.020
37.3 2.1
0.046
0.025
32.9 1.5
0.015
Legend: EE=Emotional Exhaustion; DE=Depersonalization; PE=Professional efficiency; SD: Standard deviation
Source: The authors
Table 4. Poisson model with robust variance for burnout indicators
Variables / answers
Something saddening /
Yes
Recent trauma / Yes
Sitting time wknd (Hour)
Physical activity level =
Sedentary
Physical activity level /
Insuf. Active
Relationship problems /
Yes
Age
R²
I.C. – 95%
[1.05; 1.50]
[1.02; 1.57]
[1.00; 1.05]
[0.70; 1.03]
[0.67; 0.98]
[1.06; 1.52]
[1.00; 1.09]
-
Burnout indicators
EE
sd
Exp(β) p-value Exp(β) p-value
1.26
1.22
1.03
0.012
0.031
0.004
-
-
-
Exp(β)
PE
p-value
-
-
-
-
-
0.92
0.036
-
0.81
0.034
-
-
1.27
0.001
0.89
0.004
-
-
1.05
0.050
11.80%
4.70%
8.00%
Legend: : Exp(β): : (β) exponentials; R2: model quality adjustment
Source: The authors
Discussion
Analyzing sociodemographic variables, it was possible to verify that the number of
male military participants was higher than that of female ones. It is important to highlight that
women represent 10% of Minas Gerais Military Police’s personnel.
About physical activity, this study showed a predominance of sedentary and
insufficiently active cops, and that the police officers who have children tend to be more
sedentary, corroborating with a study conducted with military police officers in the city of
Florianópolis, state of Santa Catarina, Brazil38. Said study found that professionals with kids
engaged less in physical and leisure activities. The prevalence of physical inactivity found
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was 58%; this calculation includes percentages for sedentary and insufficiently active
individuals. This index was higher than the national percentage, which stood at 54%, for the
same age group as that of the studied sample39, although these indexes are lower than those
found in similar studies conducted in Brazil with military police officers, such as those
developed in the states of Pernambuco, 73%, and Alagoas, 70%41. It is also possible to infer
that the association between Depersonalization (DE) and lower physical activity levels is
influenced by functional role, since said indicator showed statistical association with the
operational functional role and the “Insufficiently active” physical activity level.
By investigating physical activity levels, it was also possible to define a profile for
sedentary cops. Thus, those who do not frequently engage in leisure activities, have kids, take
medication, and/or have operational functional roles are vulnerable to the burnout syndrome
as a consequence of sedentarism. Considering the vulnerability profile for sedentarism and the
burnout syndrome, educative actions aimed at encouraging a healthier lifestyle may contribute
to improving these professionals’ physical and psychological health. Proposals for promotion
of a healthier lifestyle and better physical fitness must act simultaneously at intra-personal,
inter-personal and organizational levels, taking into account theories for behavioral changes in
order to achieve long-lasting results, which may be possible through institutional programs
that support engagement in sports and physical activity.
The Operational functional role presented a higher percentage of individuals with
indexes within the “Serious” classification – DE with 53% and PE with 32%. Cops who
perform operational roles tend to seek defensive strategies to deal with occurrences, which
leads to a more distant treatment in relation to other people, decreasing their motivation to
continue the job they are assigned42. A research with military police officers in the south of
Minas Gerais8 found that operational activities are linked to higher stress indexes compared to
administrative positions, because operational jobs make professionals more exposed to the
risks inherent of their activity, thus directly impacting their stress and burnout levels41.
Similar EE (29%) and PE (28%) indexes can be explained by the fact that EE takes
place in parallel with PE perception and is a direct consequence of labor stressors, especially
lack of social support and opportunities for professional development42.
The analysis of the Emotional exhaustion indicator provided values lower than those
reported in the literature43,10. To Guimarães et al.10, EE is primarily a response to the demands
of stressors that workers deal with, such as overwork, interpersonal contacts, role conflicts
and high expectation levels about oneself and the organization. In line with these authors, data
found in the present study may be related to prolonged permanence of these stressors in the
work environment, probably resulting from the structural-organizational sphere and that
expose workers to a constant state of chronic stress and burnout, in addition to the association
of other situational elements, such as studying, which ends up taking one’s time for rest.
Another point that draws attention is that, in the analysis of burnout indicators in
association with physical activity levels, individuals classified as physically “Active”
presented higher percentages in the EE indicator classified as “Serious”. This led us to
investigate these individuals isolatedly in order to understand which characteristics could be
making them more vulnerable to Emotional exhaustion, since they were deemed “Active” as
to physical activity level and, therefore, should be reaping the benefits of physical exercise
against stressor elements44.
Analyzing the profile of these professionals, a higher percentage of students was found
(attending postgraduate or undergraduate courses). In this study, the “Higher education”
variable showed significantly statistical correlation (p=0.038) with the Emotional exhaustion
dimension. Benvides-Pereira20 argues that the higher the educational level, the higher the
stress and burnout levels. A research conducted in Bulgaria45 found that cops with higher
educational levels were more likely to develop the burnout syndrome.
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Most variables that associated statistically with the EE indicator refer to aspects
involving the individual’s socio-affective life or family context, for instance: “Something
saddening”, “Recent trauma”, and “Relationship problems”. This shows the importance of
these variables in influencing the perception of this indicator. In a study conducted by Haines
et al.46 to assess the influence of family context on the development of the burnout syndrome
in American cops, it has been found that work can be a cause of conflicts in the family
environment, and that cops are among the professionals with the highest divorce rates.
Age is the factor that has been most related to burnout10. Older people tend to have
coping strategies (set of behaviors that an individual presents faced with a situation they want
to change) improved with professional experience, which allows them to manage better the
demands of their jobs compared to resources used by younger professionals. A study carried
out with a sample of 250 federal traffic police officers reported that professionals with longer
service time showed lower stress levels47. The data obtained in the present study also reveal
that service time and age influence the perception of the EE and PE indicators.
“Shift work” (p-value = 0.008) was also a variable with statistical significance related
to the burnout syndrome. This type of work requires a series of physiological and
psychological adaptations. There are consequences to health because shift work affects the
individual’s internal clock and circadian rhythms48. When someone works by shift, there is a
progressive change that demands constant adaptation to changes in schedule (the “shift”) and
in the individual’s biological clock27.
Furthermore, the PE indicator is affected by elements concerning the professional’s
personal sphere and that are linked to socio-affective matters, such as relationship problems or
recent traumatic experiences; this result corroborates with the findings of another study
conducted in Chile49, which verified a negative and statistically significant relationship
between Professional efficiency and the “Relationship problems” variable.
The methodology used in this study is cross-sectional, which limits results, bearing in
mind that the biggest disadvantage of this type of design is the impossibility of establishing
causal relations, for not proving the existence of a temporal sequence between exposure to a
factor and subsequent development of a certain effect. However, despite existing limitations,
it is possible to deem this study as a pioneer one, since it revealed relevant data about the
occupational profile of these professionals, which may provide a basis to actions inside the
institution, as well as further researches.
Conclusion
It is concluded that there is burnout and sedentarism prevalence in the studied
institution. Most cops presented general burnout indicators classified in the “Serious”
category and, with respect to physical activity level, were also classified as sedentary.
Affective aspects were proven to influence their relationship with work, and conflicts within
the family context are associated with risk of developing this syndrome.
Cops with operational roles are more likely to have the syndrome compared to
professionals with administrative positions because, in operational activities, the risk of
exposure to the aggravations of the profession is higher.
It is worth considering the importance of creating strategies for the promotion of a
healthier lifestyle and educational actions aimed at raising the awareness of professionals
about the benefits of regular physical exercise. As a suggestion, a Program for Occupational
Stress and Burnout Management, as well as operative groups, could be created, as proposed
by Pichón50, and leisure activities could be promoted so as to allow the emotional discharge of
tension build up by labor activity.
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The present study is expected to contribute to the adoption of health promotion
strategies in the organizational context of military professionals, providing guidance to areas
that need interventive actions, thus helping improve working conditions, satisfaction and
quality of life, consequently decreasing the risks of triggering psychological disorders that
may evolve to burnout.
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Influence of physical activity on Cops’ burnout
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Authors’ ORCID:
Deiveskan Serra Soares: 0000-0002-0299-8586
Cristina Carvalho de Melo: 0000-0001-6757-3741
Josiane Lopes da Silva Serra Soares: 0000-0003-3977-0355
Franco Noce: 0000-0001-6751-0871
Received on Apr, 24, 2018.
Reviewed on Aug, 14, 2018.
Accepted on Sep, 06, 2018.
Author address: Deiveskan Serra Soares. Av. Pres. Antonio Carlos, 6627 Campus - Pampulha - Belo Horizonte - MG - CEP
[Postal code] 31270-901 E-mail: deiveskan@ufmg.br
J. Phys. Educ. v. 30, e3059, 2019.