TY - JOUR
T1 - Ageing shift workers’ sleep and working-hour characteristics after implementing ergonomic shift-scheduling rules
AU - Karhula, Kati
AU - Hakola, Tarja
AU - Koskinen, Aki
AU - Lallukka, Tea
AU - Ojajärvi, Anneli
AU - Puttonen, Sampsa
AU - Oksanen, Tuula
AU - Rahkonen, Ossi
AU - Ropponen, Annina
AU - Härmä, Mikko
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by the Finnish Work Environment Fund (114317), by NordForsk, the Nordic Program on Health and Welfare (74809) and the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (826266). The FPS is supported by the Finnish Work Environment Fund (117094), and the HHS is supported by the Academy of Finland (1294514) and the Juho Vainio Foundation (no grant number). TL is supported by the Academy of Finland (319200) and by the Finnish Work Environment Fund (117308).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Sleep Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Sleep Research Society
PY - 2021/8
Y1 - 2021/8
N2 - We studied whether implementing binding ergonomic shift-scheduling rules change ageing (≥45 years) social and healthcare employees’ (mean age 52.5 years, 95% women) working-hour characteristics (e.g. weekly working hours, number and length of night shifts, and short shift intervals) and sleep. We compared an intervention group (n = 253) to a control group (n = 1,234) by survey responses (baseline 2007/2008, follow-up 2012) and objective working-hour characteristics (intervention group n = 159, control group n = 379) from 91 days preceding the surveys. Changes in working-hour characteristics were analysed with repeated measures general linear models. The fully adjusted model (sociodemographics and full-/part-time work) showed that proportion of short shift intervals (<11 hr, p =.033) and weekend work (p =.01) decreased more in the intervention than in the control group. Changes in sleep outcomes were analysed with generalised logit model to binomial and multinomial variables. The fully adjusted model (sociodemographics, full-/part-time work, job strain, health behaviours, and perceived health) revealed higher odds in the intervention group for long sleep (≥9 hr; odds ratio [OR] 5.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.21–13.80), and lower odds of short sleep (<6 hr; OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.57–0.92), having at least two sleep difficulties often (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.43–0.70), and more specifically difficulties in falling asleep (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.41–0.77), waking up several times per night (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.34–0.55), difficulties in staying asleep (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.49–0.82), and non-restorative sleep (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.54–0.90) than the control group. In conclusion, implementation of ergonomic shift-scheduling rules resulted in minor changes in ageing employees’ objective working hours and a consistent buffering effect against worsening of sleep.
AB - We studied whether implementing binding ergonomic shift-scheduling rules change ageing (≥45 years) social and healthcare employees’ (mean age 52.5 years, 95% women) working-hour characteristics (e.g. weekly working hours, number and length of night shifts, and short shift intervals) and sleep. We compared an intervention group (n = 253) to a control group (n = 1,234) by survey responses (baseline 2007/2008, follow-up 2012) and objective working-hour characteristics (intervention group n = 159, control group n = 379) from 91 days preceding the surveys. Changes in working-hour characteristics were analysed with repeated measures general linear models. The fully adjusted model (sociodemographics and full-/part-time work) showed that proportion of short shift intervals (<11 hr, p =.033) and weekend work (p =.01) decreased more in the intervention than in the control group. Changes in sleep outcomes were analysed with generalised logit model to binomial and multinomial variables. The fully adjusted model (sociodemographics, full-/part-time work, job strain, health behaviours, and perceived health) revealed higher odds in the intervention group for long sleep (≥9 hr; odds ratio [OR] 5.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.21–13.80), and lower odds of short sleep (<6 hr; OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.57–0.92), having at least two sleep difficulties often (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.43–0.70), and more specifically difficulties in falling asleep (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.41–0.77), waking up several times per night (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.34–0.55), difficulties in staying asleep (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.49–0.82), and non-restorative sleep (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.54–0.90) than the control group. In conclusion, implementation of ergonomic shift-scheduling rules resulted in minor changes in ageing employees’ objective working hours and a consistent buffering effect against worsening of sleep.
KW - intervention
KW - night shift work
KW - pay roll data
KW - social and healthcare
KW - well-being
KW - working time
U2 - 10.1111/jsr.13227
DO - 10.1111/jsr.13227
M3 - Article
C2 - 33166038
AN - SCOPUS:85096723367
SN - 0962-1105
VL - 30
JO - Journal of Sleep Research
JF - Journal of Sleep Research
IS - 4
M1 - e13227
ER -