Abstract
Burnout has been studied extensively in work-related contexts and more recently investigated in academic settings. The present study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the student version of the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI-S; Reis et al., 2015) on an Italian sample of university students (n = 339, Mage = 22.67 ± 4.10), and its measurement invariance with a USA sample (n = 553, Mage = 23.47 ± 5.96). Separate sample analyses provided psychometric support for 14 but not all 16 of the original OLBI-S items. Cross-sectional model comparisons supported partial metric invariance for the 14-item OLBI-S items when comparing the Italian and USA samples. However, scalar invariance was not supported. Finally, we found good internal reliability, and convergent, concurrent, and discriminant validity for the 14-item Italian OLBI-S. Hence, results supported using the 14-item OLBI-S in future studies of academic burnout in Italian and USA samples, and as a possible screening instrument to identify students experiencing burnout, especially during academic periods associated with higher stress. However, the 14-item OLBI-S should not be used to compare levels of burnout factors between Italian and USA students due to the lack of scalar invariance. Future work could entail further scale revisions or the development of burnout measures specifically related to the academic context rather than adapting work-related burnout scales to the study area.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
The datasets is available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
References
Akungu, O. A., Chien, K. P., & Chen, S. (2021). The longitudinal interaction of adolescents’ interest in physical education, school burnout, and disturbed sleep related to social media and phone use. Current Psychology, 42, 3725–3722. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01709-4.
Alivernini, F., & Lucidi, F. (2008). The academic motivation scale (AMS): Factorial structure,invariance, and validity in the italian context. TPM-Testing Psychometrics Methodology in Applied Psychology, 15(4), 211–220.
Allen, M. S., Iliescu, D., & Greiff, S. (2022). Single item measures in psychological science: A call to action. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 38(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000699.
Asparouhov, T., & Muthén, B. (2014). Multiple-group factor analysis alignment. Structural Equation Modeling, 21(4), 495–508. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2014.919210.
Brown, T. A. (2015). Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.
Campos, J. A. D. B., Carlotto, M. S., & Marôco, J. (2012a). Oldenburg Burnout inventory–student version: Cultural adaptation and validation into portuguese. Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica, 5, 709–718. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-79722012a000400010.
Campos, J. A. D. B., Marôco, J., & Carlotto, M. S. (2012b). Copenaghen Burnout inventory – student version: Adaptation and transcultural validation for Portugal and Brazil. Psicologia: Reflexao e Critica, 26(1), 87–97. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-79722013000100010.
Chen, F. F. (2008). What happens if we compare chopsticks with forks? The impact of making inappropriate comparisons in cross-cultural research. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(5), 1005–1018. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013193.
Cheung, G. W., & Rensvold, R. B. (2002). Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 9(2), 233–255. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_5.
Demerouti, E. (1999). Burnout: Eine Folge Konkreter Abeitsbedingungen bei Dienstleistungs und Produktionstdtigkeiten. (burnout: A consequence of specific working conditions among human service and production tasks). Frankfurt/Main: Lang.
Demerouti, E., Mostert, K., & Bakker, A. B. (2010). Burnout and work engagement: A thorough investigation of the independency of both constructs. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 15(3), 209–222. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019408.
Dolan, E. D., Mohr, D., Lempa, M., Joos, S., Fihn, S. D., Nelson, K. M., & Helfrich, C. D. (2015). Using a single item to measure burnout in primary care staff: A psychometric evaluation. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 30(5), 582–587. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-014-3112-6.
Gil-Monte, P. R., & Manzano-García, G. (2015). Psychometric properties of the spanish burnout inventory among staff nurses. Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing, 22(10), 756–763. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpm.12255.
Halbesleben, J. R. B., & Demerouti, E. (2005). The construct validity of an alternative measure of burnout: Investigating the English translation of the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. Work & Stress, 19(3), 208–220. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678370500340728.
Hansen, V., & Girgis, A. (2010). Can a single question effectively screen for burnout in australian cancer care workers? BMC Health Services Research, 10, 341–344. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-10-341.
Hardre, P. L., & Reeve, J. (2003). A motivational model of rural students’ intentions topersistin, versus drop out of, high school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(2), 347–356. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.95.2.347.
Hofstede Insights (2021). Country comparison: Italy and the United States. Downloaded from https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/italy,the-usa/.
Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118.
Humphrey, K. R. (2013). Using a student-led support group to reduce stress and burnout among BSW students. Social Work with Groups, 36(1), 73–84. https://doi.org/10.1080/01609513.2012.712905.
Kang, Y., McNeish, D. M., & Hancock, G. R. (2016). The role of measurement quality on practical guidelines for assessing measurement and structural invariance. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 76(4), 533–561. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164415603764.
Kline, R. B. (2016). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (4th ed.). Guilford Press.
Lai, K., & Green, S. B. (2016). The problem with having two watches: Assessment of fit when RMSEA and CFI disagree. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 51(2–3), 220–239. https://doi.org/10.1080/00273171.2015.1134306.
Lee, J., Puig, A., Lea, E., & Lee, S. M. (2013). Age-related differences in academic burnout of korean adolescents. Psychology in the Schools, 50(10), 1015–1031. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21723.
Little, R. J. A. (1988). A test of missing completely at random for multivariate data with missing values. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 83(404), 1198. https://doi.org/10.1080/01621459.1988.10478722
Little, T. D., Slegers, D. W., & Card, N. A. (2006). A non-arbitrary method of identifying and scaling latent variables in SEM and MACS models. Structural equation modeling, 13(1), 59–72. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15328007sem1301_3.
Loscalzo, Y., & Giannini, M. (2017). Studyholism or study addiction? A comprehensive model for a possible new clinical condition. In A. M. Columbus (Ed.), Advances in psychology research, volume 125 (pp. 19–37). New York: Nova Publishers.
Loscalzo, Y., & Giannini, M. (2018). Response to: Theoretical and methodological issues in the research on study addiction with relevance to the debate on conceptualising behavioural addictions: Atroszko (2018). Psychiatria i Psychologia Kliniczna, 18(4), 426–430. https://doi.org/10.15557/PiPK.2018.0051.
Loscalzo, Y., & Giannini, M. (2019a). Study engagement in Italian University students: Aconfirmatory factor analysis of the Utrecht Work Engagement scale – student version. Social Indicator Research, 142, 845–854. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-018-1943-y.
Loscalzo, Y., & Giannini, M. (2019b). Heavy Study Investment in Italian College students. Ananalysis of Loscalzo and Giannini’s (2017) Studyholism comprehensive model. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, 489. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00489.
Loscalzo, Y., & Giannini, M. (2021). Covid-19 outbreak: What impact of the lockdown on college students’ academic path and attitudes toward studying? BPA - Applied Psychology Bulletin (Bollettino Di Psicologia Applicata), 291, 63–74. https://doi.org/10.26387/bpa.291.5.
Loscalzo, Y., Ramazzotti, C., & Giannini, M. (2021). Studyholism e Study Engagement inrelazione alle conseguenze sullo studio dovute alla pandemia da Covid-19. Uno studio pilota quali-quantitativo su studenti universitari [Studyholism and Study Engagement in relation to the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic on studying. A quali-quantitative pilot study on university students]. Counseling, 14(2), 79–91. https://doi.org/10.14605/CS1422106.
Manzano-García, G., & Ayala, J. C. (2017). Insufficiently studied factors related to burnout in nursing: Results from an e-Delphi study. PloS one, 12(4): e0175352. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0175352.
Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal of Occupational Behavior, 2(2), 99–113. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030020205.
Maslach, C., Jackson, S. E., & Leiter, M. P. (1996). Burnout inventory manual (3rd ed.). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologist Press.
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2017). Understanding burnout: New models. In C. L. Cooper, & J. C. Quick (Eds.), The handbook of stress and health: A guide to research and practice (pp. 36–56). Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118993811.ch3.
McDonald, R. P., & Marsh, H. W. (1990). Choosing a multivariate model: Noncentrality and goodness of fit. Psychological Bulletin, 107(2), 247–255. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.107.2.247.
Molodynski, A., Lewis, T., Kadhum, M., Farrell, S. M., Lemtiri Chelieh, M., Falcão De Almeida, T., Masri, R., Kar, A., Volpe, U., Moir, F., Torales, J., Castaldelli-Maia, J. M., Chau, S. W. H., Wilkes, C., & Bhugra, D. (2021). Cultural variations in wellbeing, burnout and substance use amongst medical students in twelve countries. International Review of Psychiatry, 33(1–2), 37–42. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2020.1738064
Muthén, L. K. & Muthén, B. O. (1998–2021). Mplus user’s guide (8th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.
Popescu, B., Maricutoiu, L. P., & De Witte, H. (2023). The student version of the Burnout assessment tool (BAT): Psychometric properties and evidence regarding measurement validiy on a romanian sample. Current Psychology. Online Advanced Publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04232-w.
Reis, D., Xanthopoulou, D., & Tsaousis, I. (2015). Measuring job and academic burnout with the Oldenbourg Burnout Inventory (OLBI): Factorial invariance across samples and countries. Burnout Research, 2, 8–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burn.2014.11.001.
Rohland, B. M., Kruse, G. R., & Rohrer, J. E. (2004). Validation of a single-item measure of burnout against the Maslach Burnout Inventory among physicians. Stress and Health: Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 20(2), 75–79. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.1002.
Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. (2004). Utrecht Work Engagement Scale: Preliminary manual. Utrecht: Occupational Health Psychology Unit, Utrecht University.
Schaufeli, W. B., Desart, S., & De Witte, H. (2020). Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) – development, validity, and reliability. International Journal of Environment and Research Public Health, 17(24), 9495. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17249495.
Schaufeli, W. B., Leiter, M. P., & Maslach, C. (2009). Burnout: 35 years of research and practice. The Career Development International, 14(3), 204–220. https://doi.org/10.1108/13620430910966406.
Schmitt, N., & Ali, A. A. (2015). The practical importance of measurement invariance. In C. E. Lance, R. J. Vandenberg, C. E. Lance, & R. J. Vandenberg (Eds.), More statistical and methodological myths and urban legends (pp. 327–346). New York, NY, US: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
Sinval, J., Queirós, C., Pasian, S., & Marôco, J. (2019). Transcultural adaptation of the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) for Brazil and Portugal. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 338. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00338.
Sun, R., Yang, H. M., Chau, C. T. J., Cheong, I. S., & Wu, A. M. S. (2022). Psychological empowerment, work addiction, and burnout among mental health professionals. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03663-1. Online advanced publication.
Terracciano, A., McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T. Jr. (2003). Factorial and construct validity of the Italian positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS). European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 19(2), 131–141. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759.19.2.131.
Tomczak, M. T., & Kulikowski, K. (2023). Toward an understanding of occupational burnout among employees with autism - the Job Demands-Resources theory perspective. Current Psychology. Online advanced publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04428-0.
Trockel, M., Bohman, B., Lesure, E., Hamidi, M. S., Welle, D., Roberts, L., & Shanafelt, T. (2018). A brief instrument to assess both burnout and Professional Fulfillment in Physicians: Reliability and validity, including correlation with self-reported medical errors, in a sample of Resident and practicing Physicians. Academic Psychiatry, 42(1), 11–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-017-0849-3.
Vallerand, R. J., Fortier, M. S., & Guay, F. (1997). Self-determination and persistence in a reallife setting:Toward a motivational model of high school dropout. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 1161–1176. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.72.5.1161.
Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1998). Development and validation of brief measure ofpositive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 1063–1070. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.1063.
Weijters, B., Baumgartner, H., & Schillewaert, N. (2013). Reversed item bias: An integrative model. Psychological Methods, 18(3), 320–334. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032121.supp(Supplemental).
Wickramasinghe, N. D., Dissanayake, D. S., & Abeywardena, G. S. (2023). Student burnout and work engagement: A canonical correlation analysis. Current Psychology, 42, 7549–7556. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02113-8.
Wong, N., Rindfleisch, A., & Burroughs, J. E. (2003). Do reverse-worded items confound measures in cross-cultural consumer research? The case of the material values Scale. Journal of Consumer Research, 30(1), 72–91. https://doi.org/10.1086/374697.
Zhang, Y., Gan, Y., & Cham, H. (2007). Perfectionism, academic burnout and engagement among chinese college students: A structural equation modeling analysis. Personality and Individual Differences, 43(6), 1529–1540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2007.04.010.
Zhen, B., Yao, B., & Zhou, X. (2022). : Acute stress disorder and job burnout in primary and secondary school teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic: The moderating effect of sense of control. Current Psychology. Online advanced publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03134-7.
Zhu, Q., Cheong, Y., Wang, C., & Tong, C. (2023). The impact of maternal and parental parenting styles and parental involvement on chinese adolescents’ academic engagement and burnout. Current Psychology, 42, 2827–2840. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01611-z.
Funding
The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Data analyses were performed by Yura Loscalzo and Kenneth G. Rice. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Yura Loscalzo and Kenneth G. Rice and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics approval and consent to participate
The study was approved by the research ethics committee of University of Florence and Georgia State University and the study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Informed consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Loscalzo, Y., Rice, K.G. & Giannini, M. Psychometric properties of the Italian oldenburg burnout inventory (student version) and measurement invariance with the USA. Curr Psychol 43, 8241–8251 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05020-2
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05020-2