Associations between burnout, sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, and obesity indices in Spanish employees.

Abstract

Background: Obesity remains a major global health concern, and psychosocial stressors such as burnout may contribute to its development. While lifestyle and sociodemographic factors are recognized determinants, their interaction with burnout has been less studied, especially using advanced adiposity indices. In this study, we assessed the associations between burnout, sociodemographic variables, lifestyle habits, and obesity in a large cohort of Spanish employees.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of Spanish workers undergoing occupational health examinations. Burnout was classified into low, moderate, and high levels. Obesity was assessed using body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WtHR), the Clínica Universidad de Navarra Body Adiposity Estimator (CUN-BAE), and the Metabolic Score for Visceral Fat (METS-VF). Logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic and behavioral variables were applied, including interaction analyses.

Results: Burnout showed a strong and graded association with obesity across all indices. Compared with low burnout, high burnout was associated with up to a 40% higher odds of obesity by BMI, and even stronger associations when using CUN-BAE and METS-VF. Women, older employees, and those from lower social classes were disproportionately affected. Adherence to a Mediterranean diet and engagement in regular physical activity were associated with lower obesity risk among participants with higher burnout levels.

Conclusions: Burnout is a significant and independent correlate of obesity in working populations, particularly when measured with indices capturing visceral fat. Vulnerable groups, women, older workers, and lower social classes, -require targeted interventions. Workplace health programs should integrate stress management with lifestyle promotion as dual strategies to combat obesity. Longitudinal research is needed to confirm causality and assess intervention effectiveness.