Shift work disorder and related health problems among nurses working in a tertiary care hospital, Bangalore, South India

Abstract

Introduction:Shift Work Disorder (SWD) is a sleep disorder characterized by sleepiness and insomnia, which can be attributed to the person's work schedule. Awareness of the mechanisms behind shift work related health problems could be essential to schedule the shift work, employment routines, clinical treatment, and selection of employees.Objective:To assess the prevalence of SWD and to identify related health problems among nurses in a tertiary care hospital in Bangalore.Materials and Methods:We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study in a tertiary care hospital in Bangalore between May and September 2014. Based on simple random sampling, 130 nurses were selected for the study. After obtaining written informed consent from the participants, structured interview schedule using Standard Shift Work Index and Bergen Shift Work Sleep Questionnaire (BSWSQ) was administered.Results:The mean age of the 130 nurses was 27.4 ± 2.64 years. The prevalence of SWD was found to be 43.07%. Headache, back pain, gastritis, and menstrual disorders were the most common complaints, which are found in 78 (60.0%), 75 (57.6%), 42 (32.3%), and 39 (30.0%) cases, respectively. Anxiety and depression was found in 23 (17.6%) and 31 (23.8%) individuals, respectively. We also found a significant association of SWD with increasing age, more number of nights worked in a year, and longer duration of working hours. According to the BSWSQ, 70 (53.8%) nurses were found to have sleep problems.Conclusion:A high prevalence of SWD symptoms calls for a focus on the antecedents of work related sleep problems and appropriate intervention, such as behavioral changes, clockwise rotating shifts, and treatment.

The Impact of Shift Work on Migraine: A Case Series and Narrative Review

“…34,[38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47] A summary of previous literature is included in Table 1. During this period, she had some worsening of her mood and anxiety upon tapering amitriptyline, which responded to restarting escitalopram.…”

“…[38][39][40][41]43 One study reported a similar time of onset of migraine attacks in those working day vs non-daytime shifts; however, the 1 pm onset of attacks in these patients may still suggest an attack with onset after postnight shift sleep, which was not explored by the authors. 46 Three more recent cohort studies suggest a detrimental relationship between shift work and migraine, 44,45,47 and a fourth suggests that patients with migraine cope less well with activity at unusual hours than patients without migraine. 46 Three more recent cohort studies suggest a detrimental relationship between shift work and migraine, 44,45,47 and a fourth suggests that patients with migraine cope less well with activity at unusual hours than patients without migraine.…”

“…Literature Review.-Our literature search yielded 11 original research English-language articles mentioning the impact of shift work on migraine spanning the years 1990-2018. 34,[38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47] A summary of previous literature is included in Table 1.…”

“…42 Another study reported a very high prevalence of headaches in subjects with SWD but did not report headache prevalence in subjects without SWD, limiting further conclusions. 46 Three more recent cohort studies suggest a detrimental relationship between shift work and migraine, 44,45,47 and a fourth suggests that patients with migraine cope less well with activity at unusual hours than patients without migraine. 34 Importantly, the definition of shift work was highly variable between studies, and whether patients were working fixed or rotating shift schedules was typically not documented.…”

The Relationship Between Sleep Disorders and Quality of Life in Rotating Shift Workers at a Textile Factory

“…Anxiety and depression were found in 23 (17.6%) and 31 (23.8%) individuals, respectively. Also, insomnia had a significant relationship with increasing age, more number of nights worked in a year, and longer duration of working hours (25). Fekedulegn et al examined the association of shift work with sleep quality in police officers.…”