Exploring the Validity Based on Internal Structure of the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory - Medical Student (OLBI-MS)

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychological Assessment
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Medical student burnout has significant negative professional and personal consequences.
• Standardized measures with strong validity evidence are recommended for assessing burnout.
• The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory - Medical Student (OLBI-MS) is adapted from a widely used burnout inventory but lacks robust validity evidence for medical students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To gather validity evidence for the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory - Medical Student (OLBI-MS).
• To assess the suitability of the OLBI-MS for measuring burnout in second-year medical students.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on a large dataset of second-year medical student questionnaire data.
• Data from two consecutive years were used, including random splitting for confirmatory and exploratory samples.

Main Results:

• The hypothesized two-factor structure of the OLBI-MS was not supported by the data.
• Several items exhibited low inter-item correlations or moderate correlations with unexpected factors.
• Two modified versions of the OLBI-MS showed adequate statistical fit but require further validation.

Conclusions:

• The OLBI-MS is not recommended for assessing burnout in second-year medical students.
• The appropriateness of the OLBI-MS for all medical students remains uncertain.
• Additional research is necessary to refine the OLBI-MS or develop alternative measures.