Relationship between Mindful Eating and Academic Burnout Syndrome in Medical Undergraduate Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Burnout syndrome is an important issue in academic settings. Mindful eating offers a promising approach for intervention strategies aimed at preventing burnout. Exploring the relationship between mindful eating and burnout syndrome may provide a foundation for developing effective interventions to reduce burnout.

This cross-sectional study included 472 undergraduate students from the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Gadjah Mada University, representing both medical and non-medical study programs. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to assess burnout syndrome, while the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) measured the dimensions of mindful eating. Simple logistic and ordinal logistic regression analyses were applied to the data.

More than 25% of respondents experienced burnout syndrome, characterized by a moderate degree of emotional exhaustion and a lack of personal accomplishment. Among medical students, distraction was the dominant mindful eating dimension, whereas awareness was predominant among non-medical students. After adjusting for confounders, distraction (aOR = 0.45, p < 0.05), external cues (aOR = 2.23, p < 0.05), and moderate physical activity (aOR = 2.02, p < 0.05) were significantly associated with burnout syndrome. Problem-focused coping acted as a protective factor against emotional exhaustion (aOR = 0.32, p < 0.05).

These findings contribute to understanding the prevalence and determinants of burnout syndrome among medical and non-medical undergraduate students, with potential implications for other faculties.

Distraction, external cues, problem-focused coping, and moderate physical activity should be considered in faculty program development to help reduce burnout syndrome.