Working hours and health behaviour among nurses at public hospitals

Abstract

Objective: to analyse the differences between genders in the description in the professional, domestic and total work hours and assess its association with health-related behaviour among nurses. Methods: this is a transversal study carried out in 18 different public hospitals in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. The data collection procedure was based on questionnaires. All nurses working with assistance were considered eligible (n=2,279). Results: men and women showed significant differences in relation to working hours. The female group showed longer domestic and total work hours when compared to the group of men. In contrast, the number of hours spent on professional work was higher among men. For the women, both the professional hours and total work hours were often associated with excessive consumption of fried food and also coffee, lack of physical exercise and also the greater occurrence of overweight and obesity.Conclusion: both the professional hours and the domestic work hours need to be taken into account in studies about health, self-care and also the care provided within the context of nursing workers, particularly among women. The results add weight to the need for actions for health promotion in this occupational group and the importance of assessing the impact of long working hours on the health of workers.

Personal characteristics of coffee consumers and non-consumers, reasons and preferences for foods eaten with coffee among adults from the Federal District, Brazil

“…In line with this, a cross-sectional study carried out in 18 different public hospitals in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, observed that the total working hours were often associated with excessive consumption of fried food and coffee, lack of physical exercise and the greater occurrence of overweight and obesity (Fernandes et al, 2013).…”

“…In Brazilian culture, the consumption of coffee is part of the accepted norm, especially in work environments, as a form of social interaction (Fernandes et al, 2013). It has been observed that women with long stints of professional or total work hours tend to show an exaggerated consumption of coffee, a phenomenon that could be explained by the property of caffeine which provides energy to deal with daily activities in a satisfactory manner (Fernandes et al, 2013).…”

Uso de álcool e comportamento de saúde entre profissionais da enfermagem

“…Consumption above this quantity may contribute to increasing the incidence of problems related to exposure to situations of accidents, violence or risk behavior, such as unprotected sex (1,13) . In relation to the organization of work, the fact that shifts of nursing professionals are heavy and exhausting (23) , including holidays and weekends, with little availability to enjoy moments of leisure, are factors that may lead these professionals to adopt the consumption of alcohol (7) , seeking to relieve the mental suffering resulting from various stressful situations.…”

Ambiente ocupacional e o consumo de substâncias psicoativas entre enfermeiros

“…(11) What the nurses' perception of the occupational environment is concerned, the medians were low, indicating a negative environment, mainly what autonomy is concerned. When the nurses work in a motivating environment, in which they develop their competencies and skills autonomously, they will work with greater pleasure and satisfaction and, in turn, will contribute to promote better care to the patients and family members and will improve their relationship with the health team.…”