Association between shift work and poor sleep quality in an Asian multi-ethnic working population: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundWe aimed to examine the association between shift work and sleep quality in a diverse occupational type. MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study of self-reported sleep quality in 424 workers aged �21 using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). We divided workers into two categories based on their PSQI score: (a) �5 (good sleep quality) and (b) >5 (poor sleep quality). We used multiple logistic regressions to assess the association between shift work and sleep quality adjusted for potential confounders. ResultsThe mean age was 39.2 (SD = 11.3) years, with shift workers being older than their counterparts. Most workers were of Chinese ethnicity (63.9%). Males were significantly more likely to undertake shift work than females (89% v 11%, p-value<0.001), but it should be noted that the majority of workers was male (78.8%) in this sample of workers. Shift workers had a 198% increased odds of poor sleep quality compared to non-shift workers (OR = 2.98; 95% CI:1.53-5.81). ConclusionShift work was significantly and independently associated with increased odds of poor sleep quality in this sample of workers. The present findings may inform employment guidelines and help develop workplace health promotion interventions aimed at improving sleep quality among workers and ultimately lead to a healthier workforce.

The prevalence and determining factors of sleep disorders vary by gender in the Egyptian public officials: a large cross-sectional study

“…The associations between work environment (high job demands, low job control, working an extra job, and shift work) and sleep disorders found among the Egyptian public officials agree with those in other nationalities (Ribet and Derriennic 1999;Kim et al 2018;Thach et al 2020). Shift work can disrupt the circadian rhythm.…”

“…In our study, sleep disorders increased among highly educated women and decreased among highly educated men, which adds to the discrepant association between education level and sleep disorders. Sleep disorders were attributed to lower educational attainment in some studies (Thach et al 2020) and higher educational attainment in other studies (Yong et al 2017). Heo et al (2013) indicated both university or above-, and junior high schooleducated Koreans had significantly more sleep disorders than high school graduates.…”

“…An American study reported that the prevalence of sleep disorders was 19.2% among 6338 workers aged ≥ 18 who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (Yong et al 2017). Among 464 Asian workers (64% Chinese) aged 21 years or more, the prevalence of poor sleep quality was 43.2% (Thach et al 2020). The prevalence of poor sleep quality was 15.5% among 470 Iranian workers (Yazdi et al 2014).…”

“…However, a few studies were conducted among working people. The evidence came mainly from American (Yong et al 2017) and Asian (Thach et al 2020) workers whose characteristics and work environment vary significantly from those of other working populations.…”

The Role of Sleep Quality as Mediator of Relationship between Workload and Work Fatigue in Mining Workers

“…Based on the work system, shift workers tend to have poorer sleep quality than the ones who do not. Shift workers were found to face 198% higher risks of poor sleep quality compared to non-shift workers (Thach et al, 2020). Although shift work can cause health problems, it is still used in various industries because of the production and service needs that must run for 24 hours.…”