Evaluation terms of Gender Variable of Burnout of Healthcare Workers in Turkey: A Meta-Analysis Study

Aim: While gender is a frequently discussed variable in both qualitative and quantitative studies on burnout, how healthcare workers experience burnout is also one of the most frequently studied cases in the literature. National and international studies show that there are differences in burnout levels of males and females. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the gender variable in the theses about burnout among healthcare workers from a broader perspective and to reveal the differences in burnout levels by gender. Methods: “YÖK Thesis Screening” database was used to identify the studies to be included in the meta-analysis, and 657 theses were reached out as a result of the screening. Since the samples of the studies must be composed only of healthcare workers, which is one of the criteria, it was found out that there were only 127 theses made in the healthcare sector. Also, studies not including mean/standard deviation values, not examining the gender variable, or using different scales were excluded from the meta-analysis. As a result, 62 studies remained to be included in the analyses. Results: The sample of the study consisted of 15.431 healthcare workers, 5.194 males, and 10.237 females. “Egger’s regression test” and “funnel plot” were examined to determine publication bias and, as a result, no publication bias was found. The results of the study showed that the female healthcare workers had positive and statistically significant effect size in the sub-scale of “emotional exhaustion” (0.222 [0.131-0.312]), whereas the male healthcare workers had a negative and statistically significant effect size in the sub-scale of depersonalization (-0.017 [-0.073-0.107]) and personal accomplishment (-0.067 [-0.163-0.029]). Conclusion: The problem with this trend maintains the common belief that females are more exhausted than males, and males are more resistant to stress than females. Accordingly, healthcare institutions may not realize the need to support their male workers against burnout. In conclusion, this meta-analysis sheds light on burnout differing by gender in the healthcare sector.