Bogdan I Voinescu1,2. 1. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Laboratory for the Research of Sleep Disorders and Circadian Psychobiology, International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health, Babeș-Bolyai University, Str. Republicii 37, 400013, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. bogdan.voinescu@ubbcluj.ro. 2. Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK. bogdan.voinescu@ubbcluj.ro.
Abstract
PURPOSE: A wide range of health problems was investigated, aiming to identify the presence and severity of a set of self-reported and common sleep, psychiatric, and somatic health problems among working professionals in four different shift schedules (morning, evening, rotating, and day) in several cities in Romania. METHODS: A heterogeneous sample of 488 workers of different professions completed online a battery of tests, namely the Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire, the Parasomnia Questionnaire, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire, designed to identity symptoms of insomnia, sleepiness, snoring, parasomnia, as well as of depression, anxiety, eating, somatoform, and alcohol use disorders, respectively. The timing and the duration of the sleep, along with the presence of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes mellitus were also inquired. The prevalence of the different health problems in relation to the type of shift schedule was evaluated with the Pearson Chi-square test. ANOVA was used to calculate the significance of the difference between the means, while associations with different health problems were estimated by binary logistic regression. RESULTS: The most common mental health problems were depression (26%), insomnia (20%), alcohol misuse (18%), and anxiety (17%). No significant differences based on the type of shift in terms of health problems were found, except for high blood pressure and symptoms of panic disorder that were more frequently reported by the workers in early morning shifts. Together with the workers in rotating shifts, they also reported increased sleepiness, poorer sleep quality, and shorter sleep duration. In contrast, the workers in evening shifts reported less severe health problems and longer sleep duration. CONCLUSIONS: Working in early morning shifts was found to be associated with poorer health outcomes, while working in rotating and early morning shifts with more severe sleep-related problems.
PURPOSE: A wide range of health problems was investigated, aiming to identify the presence and severity of a set of self-reported and common sleep, psychiatric, and somatic health problems among working professionals in four different shift schedules (morning, evening, rotating, and day) in several cities in Romania. METHODS: A heterogeneous sample of 488 workers of different professions completed online a battery of tests, namely the Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire, the Parasomnia Questionnaire, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire, designed to identity symptoms of insomnia, sleepiness, snoring, parasomnia, as well as of depression, anxiety, eating, somatoform, and alcohol use disorders, respectively. The timing and the duration of the sleep, along with the presence of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes mellitus were also inquired. The prevalence of the different health problems in relation to the type of shift schedule was evaluated with the Pearson Chi-square test. ANOVA was used to calculate the significance of the difference between the means, while associations with different health problems were estimated by binary logistic regression. RESULTS: The most common mental health problems were depression (26%), insomnia (20%), alcohol misuse (18%), and anxiety (17%). No significant differences based on the type of shift in terms of health problems were found, except for high blood pressure and symptoms of panic disorder that were more frequently reported by the workers in early morning shifts. Together with the workers in rotating shifts, they also reported increased sleepiness, poorer sleep quality, and shorter sleep duration. In contrast, the workers in evening shifts reported less severe health problems and longer sleep duration. CONCLUSIONS: Working in early morning shifts was found to be associated with poorer health outcomes, while working in rotating and early morning shifts with more severe sleep-related problems.
Entities:
Keywords:
Eastern Europe; General health; Psychiatric disorders; Shift work; Sleep disorders; Work schedule
Authors: Karin I Proper; Daniëlla van de Langenberg; Wendy Rodenburg; Roel C H Vermeulen; Allard J van der Beek; Harry van Steeg; Linda W M van Kerkhof Journal: Am J Prev Med Date: 2016-01-22 Impact factor: 5.043
Authors: Ronald C Kessler; Patricia A Berglund; Catherine Coulouvrat; Goeran Hajak; Thomas Roth; Victoria Shahly; Alicia C Shillington; Judith J Stephenson; James K Walsh Journal: Sleep Date: 2011-09-01 Impact factor: 5.849
Authors: Laura K Barger; Rowan P Ogeil; Christopher L Drake; Conor S O'Brien; Kim T Ng; Shantha M W Rajaratnam Journal: Sleep Date: 2012-12-01 Impact factor: 5.849
Authors: Amy C Reynolds; Sally A Ferguson; Sarah L Appleton; Meagan E Crowther; Yohannes Adama Melaku; Tiffany K Gill; Shantha M W Rajaratnam; Robert J Adams Journal: Nat Sci Sleep Date: 2021-05-31