Factors Associated with Fatigue among Undergraduate Physiotherapy Students: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Fatigue is a common multidimensional health problem among university students, particularly physiotherapy students, because of demanding academic workloads, laboratory practice, and clinical skills training. Although demographic and psychological factors have been associated with fatigue, evidence regarding their independent contributions among Indonesian physiotherapy students remains limited.
Objective: To identify factors associated with fatigue among undergraduate physiotherapy students at Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang.
Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study included 184 undergraduate physiotherapy students selected through purposive sampling. Fatigue was assessed using the original Fatigue Severity Scale translated into Indonesian by the researchers, burnout using the Indonesian version of the School Burnout Inventory, and sleep quality using the original Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index translated into Indonesian by the researchers. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify factors independently associated with fatigue. Results are reported as unstandardized regression coefficients (B), 95% confidence intervals (CI), and p values.
Results: Female students accounted for 73.4% of participants, and 95.7% reported poor sleep quality. Burnout (B = 0.560; 95% CI: 0.410 to 0.709; p < 0.001) and sex (B = −6.175; 95% CI: −9.070 to −3.280; p < 0.001) were independently associated with fatigue. Age (p = 0.860) and sleep quality (p = 0.894) were not independently associated with fatigue. The final model explained 28.1% of the variance in fatigue (Adjusted R² = 0.281).
Conclusion: Burnout was the strongest factor associated with fatigue, followed by sex. Interventions targeting academic burnout and psychological well-being may help reduce fatigue among undergraduate physiotherapy students.