Is physical and psychological work stress associated with fatigue in Danish ferry ship employees?

Abstract

Background: Fatigue is a recognised risk factor for safety in seafaring. While always dangerous, fatigue in ferry shipping is especially hazardous as it may jeopardise passengers' safety. To counteract fatigue, knowledge on its determinants is important. Little, however, is known on the influence from physical and psychosocial work environment factors within ferry shipping. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between work stress in terms of physical stressors, perceived job demands and job control and different dimensions of fatigue among ferry ship employees and to test whether a potential effect of work stress was mediated by sleep satisfaction. Materials and methods: The design was cross-sectional. 193 respondents answered to a self-administered questionnaire including standardised scales, i.e. the Swedish Occupational Fatigue Inventory and the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire for job demands and control. The association of risk factors with fatigue was determined using hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses. Results: Physical work stressors were positively associated with only one of five fatigue subscales: lack of energy. Higher levels of demands were related to more lack of energy, lack of motivation, physical exertion and sleepiness, while more control was related to lesser lack of energy, lack of motivation and sleepiness. No demand-control interaction was found. Effects of demand and control were partly mediated by sleep satisfaction. Conclusions: Although limited by its cross-sectional design this study provides support for the independent relevance of demands and control for employee fatigue in ferry shipping and for a mediating role of sleep satisfaction. (Int Marit Health 2020; 71, 1: 46-55)

Mental health and psychological wellbeing of maritime personnel: a systematic review

“…Seafarers with more habitability-related complaints were more likely to report poor sleep [ 42 , 56 ]; worse mood [ 56 ]; greater anxiety and depression [ 56 ]; lower job-related affective wellbeing [ 33 ]; and greater fatigue [ 37 , 42 , 56 ]. Conversely, other studies found that perception of noise, vibration and movements did not influence emotional exhaustion or sleepiness [ 7 ] and disturbance by the physical work environment was associated with only one facet of fatigue (lack of energy) [ 61 ].…”

“…Participants frequently reported high job demands [ 37 ] which were perceived as a stressor [ 28 ] and associated with fatigue [ 37 , 61 ] and job dissatisfaction and intentions to leave the industry [ 63 ]. Job demands relating to environmental compliance (i.e.…”

Measurement Methods of Fatigue, Sleepiness, and Sleep Behaviour Aboard Ships: A Systematic Review

“…After full-text review, two additional studies were excluded because the seafarers predominantly did not sleep on board [ 14 , 15 ]. In addition, two studies were hand-selected (one of these studies included tests in a ship simulator [ 16 ], and the other had a participant number of only eight sailors [ 17 ]).…”

Multivariate Analysis on The Determinants of Work Fatigue Factors for Nurses Inpatient Care at RSUD Arifin Achmad Hospital Pekanbaru

“…According to the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration in based on data on work accidents recorded in Indonesia every day an average of 414 occupational accidents is 22.7% due to fatigue that is quite high. Where the determinants of work fatigue vary from factors of work environment that are inadequate to work (noise, lighting and temperature), rest periods and disproportionate working hours can increase the degree of work discharge, the health of workers who are not monitored properly, giving Inadequate nutrition can result in work fatigue, workload on workers should be adjusted to the physical and psychological abilities of workers, travel time to and from work, mental development that takes place periodically and work shifts [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9].…”

“…Almost the same data can also be seen in a community survey in the UK which states that 25% of women and 20% of men complain that they always feel tired. Even though work fatigue is complained almost every day by workers in each work unit, but until 1990 work fatigue is still a mystery of the modern medical world which is full of obscurity in its causes [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17].…”