Burnout among Extension Agents in the Ohio Cooperative Extension Service.

A study examined the extent and causes of burnout among extension agents in Ohio. From the 241 extension agents working in the 88 counties of Ohio, researchers selected a random sample of 101 agents. Included in the sample were 34 agriculture agents, 33 home economics agents. Included in the sample agents were asked to complete a survey questionnaire designed to collect data concerning personal, organizational, and job (environmental) factors. Of the 91 surveys returned, 89 were usable. The Ohio extension agents were found to experience a low to moderate level of burnout, with less than 20 percent of them appearing to manifest a high level of burnout. In general, the younger agents--those between the ages of 20 and 30--experienced higher levels of burnout. Males and females experienced the same relative levels of burnout, with single individuals undergoing significantly higher levels of burnout than their married counterparts. Job satisfaction was the best single predictor of burnout when all significant independent variables were entered in a stepwise regression equation. As a group, the 4-H agents experienced more burnout than did the agriculture or home economics agents. (MN)