Interconnected associations of occupational burnout, anxiety, and sleep quality in oilfield workers

Occupational burnout and poor sleep quality are increasingly prevalent among oilfield workers, exposed to high-stress environments and irregular shifts. Emerging evidence indicates that anxiety may mediate the link between burnout and sleep disturbances, though empirical data in this group remain limited.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,617 oilfield workers in Shaanxi Province, China. Sleep quality, anxiety, and occupational burnout were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Symptom Checklist-90, and Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey, respectively. Logistic regression, correlation analysis, restricted cubic spline models, and bootstrapped mediation analyses were used to evaluate associations and mediation effects.

Among participants, 52.75% experienced occupational burnout. In the total population, occupational burnout were significantly associated with sleep quality (OR = 1.611, 95% CI: 1.291-2.010, P < 0.001). Sex-stratified analyses yielded consistent findings, with females showing stronger associations (OR = 1.919, 95% CI: 1.244-2.959) compared with males (OR = 1.492, 95% CI: 1.144-1.946). Restricted cubic spline analysis revealed a nonlinear dose-response relationship between occupational burnout and the odds of sleep quality (P for nonlinear = 0.002). Mediation analysis showed that anxiety is consistent with a significant indirect association between occupational burnout and sleep quality, accounting for 33.08% of the total association.

Occupational burnout and anxiety are key correlates for sleep quality among oilfield workers, with anxiety serving as a significant potential mechanism. Early identification and targeted interventions addressing both occupational burnout and psychological distress are important considerations for improving sleep quality and alleviating occupational health in high-risk work environments.