Burnout syndrome and sleep quality in medical students in the clinical stage of the Universidad Peruana Unión (UpeU) during 2022

Introduction: Burnout syndrome among medical students is characterized by emotional exhaustion and perceived failure, with multifactorial causes, including organizational factors. Sleep quality is crucial for its prevention. The objective of this study was to determine the association between the development of burnout syndrome and sleep quality among medical students. Methods: This study included 253 clinical-stage medical students from the School of Human Medicine at Universidad Peruana Unión. Questionnaires were used to assess burnout (MBI-URPMSS) and sleep quality (PSQI). Spearman's coefficient was calculated to evaluate the association between burnout scores and sleep quality scores. Simple and multiple lineal regression models were created to assess the dimensions of burnout syndrome and sleep quality. Results: A total of 253 students were included. It was found that for every additional point in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, the sleep score increased by 0.18 and 0.16 (95% CI, 0.12–0.24; p < 0.001), (95% CI, 0.12–0.29; p < 0.001). For each additional point in the personal accomplishment dimension, the PSQI score decreased by 0.04 on average (95% CI, − 0.11−0.03; p = 0.261). This pattern was maintained in the adjusted regression model. Conclusion: Poor sleep quality is common among medical students, with an average PSQI score of 8.7. Moreover, a statistically significant association was observed between emotional exhaustion and depersonalization in burnout syndrome and poor sleep quality, while no significant association was found with the personal accomplishment dimension.