Time worked in shifts and occurrence of drowsiness events while driving: Attenuating effect of physical activity

Abstract

Background: To investigate the relationship between shift work time, drowsiness events during driving, and the potential moderating effect of physical activity. Methods: A cross-sectional investigation involved 1413 male shift workers in an iron ore mining firm. Heavy machinery essential to the mining process was operated. A specific question from the Berlin Questionnaire was used to evaluate drowsiness while driving. The main explanation variable was the shift in working hours. The levels of physical activity were classified as low, moderate, and high using the IPAQ. Multivariate and descriptive descriptive logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: The majority of workers were aged 20 to 34 (45.1%), self-identified as non-white (77.2%) and had completed high school (76.0%). The average shift work time was 9.56 years (95% CI: 9.23-9.90), with 76% working for five years or more. Drowsiness events during driving were reported by 17.3% of workers. Multivariate analysis showed a significant association between shift work time and drowsiness events, indicating a dose-response relationship, where longer shift work time increased the likelihood of drowsiness events (OR: 2.93 for 10-15 years; OR: 4.34 for >15 years). However, physical activity acted as a moderating factor, demonstrating a dose-response effect in reducing this chance, with a reduction of 27.6% and 30.9% for moderate and high levels, respectively, compared to participants with a low level of activity. Conclusion: Longer shift work time increases the chance of drowsiness events during driving, but higher physical activity levels mitigate them.