Aspects of work and sleep associated with work ability in regular aviation pilots

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Analyze the association of work organization and sleep aspects with work ability in regular aviation pilots. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional epidemiological study with 1,234 regular aviation pilots who worked domestic and international flights, affiliated with the Brazilian Association of Civil Aviation Pilots. Data collection employed online questionnaire. We compared proportions using Pearson’s Chi-squared or Fisher’s exact hypothesis tests. Then, we conducted Poisson analysis, with robust variance, to test factors associated with moderate or low work ability. RESULTS: The prevalence of moderate or low work ability was 43.3%. We found that selfperception of insufficient sleep (PR = 1.29; 95%CI 1.06–1.57), increased perception for fatigue (PR = 1.51; 95%CI 1.24–1.84), more than 65 flight hours per month (PR = 1.22; 95%CI 1.01–1.46), less than 10 days of time off per month (PR = 1.27; 95%CI 1.04–1.55), and frequent operational delays (PR = 1.23; 95%CI 1.02–1.48) were factors associated with moderate or low work ability. CONCLUSIONS: Work organization was a determining factor for decreased work ability, especially concerning aspects related to rest and its influence on the sleep of pilots.

The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Otic Barotrauma Among Aircrew Members

“…16,17 Results showed increased odds of barotrauma among crew members working for more than 70 hours monthly. Other studies 16,18,19 found similar associations. Recently, one study found that increased flight hours at or more than 66 hours per month was associated with decreased work ability.…”

“…Recently, one study found that increased flight hours at or more than 66 hours per month was associated with decreased work ability. 18 Another study reported a significant correlation between total flight hours and hearing loss among pilots. 16 A major advantage of our study was its relatively large number of male and female flight crew workers in Saudi airlines.…”

Fatigue in Aviation: Safety Risks, Preventive Strategies and Pharmacological Interventions

“…Fatigue has been shown to reduce working ability in general and may be associated with feelings of depression or anxiety ( O’Hagan et al, 2016 ; Pasha and Stokes, 2018 ; Pellegrino and Marqueze, 2019 ). Moreover, severely fatigued pilots had higher rates of excessive daytime sleepiness, depression and obstructive sleep apnea than non-fatigued pilots ( O’Hagan et al, 2018 ).…”

“…The rostered duty pattern was associated with 27% of all fatigue reports of a commercial airline, with 25% reporting that mission planning was a primary contributor to fatigue ( Houston et al, 2012 ; Morris et al, 2018 ). Other aspects of work organization identified by pilots as factors contributing to fatigue are more consecutive working nights, longer career duration, more time on the night shift and no good place to sleep onboard ( Pellegrino and Marqueze, 2019 ). Another parameter that has been of increasing interest is the crew composition, with fatigue being a greater risk for two-member than for three-member flight crews, probably due to two-member crews having diminished opportunities of sleeping in-flight ( Eriksen et al, 2006 ).…”

A critical approach to fatigue risk factors in cockpit and cabin crew for the flight safety in aviation industry

“…In such a situation, the probability of an accident occurring is very high. People who work from the night hours until the early hours of the morning feel the same effects (Pellegrino & Marqueze, 2019) Food and consumed chemicals (not fresh food, alcohol, caffeine and taking medication) iii.…”