Work and excessive sleepiness among Brazilian evening high school students: effects on days off.

Previous studies have revealed that students who work and study build up sleep deficits during the workweek, which can trigger a sleep rebound during days off. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of working/non-working on sleepiness during days off among high school students. The study population, aged 14-21 years, attended evening classes in São Paulo, Brazil. For the study, the students completed questionnaires on living conditions, health, and work; wore actigraphs; and completed the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS). To predict sleepiness, a logistic regression analysis was performed. Excessive sleepiness was observed on the first day off among working students. Results suggest that working is a significant predictor for sleepiness and that two shifts of daily systematic activities, study and work, might lead to excessive daytime sleepiness on the first day off. Further, this observed excessive sleepiness may reflect the sleep debt accumulated during the workweek.

Sleep and sleepiness among working and non-working high school evening students.

The aim of this study was to evaluate patterns of sleepiness, comparing working and non-working students. The study was conducted on high school students attending evening classes (19:00-22:30 h) at a public school in São Paulo, Brazil. The study group consisted of working (n=51) and non-working (n=41) students, aged 14-21 yrs. The students answered a questionnaire about working and living conditions and reported health symptoms and diseases. For seven consecutive days, actigraphy measurements were recorded, and the students also filled in a sleep diary. Sleepiness ratings were given six times per day, including upon waking and at bedtime, using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale. Statistical analyses included three-way ANOVA and t-test. The mean sleep duration during weekdays was shorter among workers (7.2 h) than non-workers (8.8 h) (t=4.34; p<.01). The mean duration of night awakenings was longer among workers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (28.2 min) and shorter on Mondays (24.2 min) (t=2.57; p=.03). Among workers, mean napping duration was longer on Mondays and Tuesdays (89.9 min) (t=2.27; p=.03) but shorter on Fridays and Sundays (31.4 min) (t=3.13; p=.03). Sleep efficiency was lower on Fridays among non-workers. Working students were moderately sleepier than non-workers during the week and also during class on specific days: Mondays (13:00-15:00 h), Wednesdays (19:00-22:00 h), and Fridays (22:00-00:59 h). The study found that daytime sleepiness of workers is moderately higher in the evening. This might be due to a work effect, reducing the available time for sleep and shortening the sleep duration. Sleepiness and shorter sleep duration can have a negative impact on the quality of life and school development of high school students.

Teen at work: the burden of a double shift on daily activities.

The purpose of this study was to the evaluate time spent by working and nonworking adolescents on daily activities (work, home duties, school, transportation, other activities, leisure, sleep, and naps). Twenty-seven students, 8 male workers, 8 female workers, 5 male nonworkers, and 6 female nonworkers, ages 14-18 yrs participated in the study. They attended evening classes Monday-Friday (19:00-22:30h) in a public school in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The students answered a comprehensive questionnaire on the characterization of their life, work, and health conditions. Simultaneously, they wore actigraphs (Ambulatory Monitoring, Inc.) and completed a diary of their daily activities (time spent at work, on home duties, commuting, leisure, other activities) for a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 17 consecutive days. The means of the variables were tested for differences by a two-factor (work and sex) ANOVA and Student-t test applied to pair-wise samples (weekdays and weekends). The average duration during weekdays of working time was 7 h 09 min and home duties 0 h 48 min. As for commuting time, there was a work effect [F(1,23) = 4.9; p = 0.04]; mean commuting time was 2 h 22 min for workers (males and females) and 1 h 25 min for nonworkers. There was a significant difference between workers and nonworkers [F(1,23) = 4.6; p = 0.04] regarding extra-cirricular class activities; workers spent a mean of 3 min/day on them as opposed to 1 h 14 min by nonworkers. The average daily time spent on leisure activities by workers was 6h 31 min; whereas, for nonworkers it was 7h 38min. Time spent in school amounted to 2h 47min for workers in comparison to 3h 22min by nonworkers. There was a significant work effect upon sleep [F(1,23)= 10.0; p <0.01]. The work effect upon nighttime sleep duration was significant [F(1,23)= 16.7; p <0.01]. Male workers showed a mean night sleep of 6 h 57 min and female workers 07h 15min. The average nighttime sleep duration for nonworkers was 9 h 06 min. There was a significant interactive effect between work and sex [F(1,23)= 5.6; p=0.03] for naps. Female workers showed took shortest nap on average (36 min; SD = 26 min), and female nonworkers the longest naps (1 h 45min; SD= 35min). Study and employment exert significant impact on the life and activities of high school students. Work affects sleep and nap duration plus the amount of time spent in school and other extra-curricular activities.

Exposure to bright light during evening class hours increases alertness among working college students.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of exposure to bright light on sleepiness during evening hours among college students. METHODS: Twenty-seven healthy college students, all males, with ages ranging from 21 to 24years, working during the day and studying in the evening, participated in this study. During the 3week study, the students wore actigraphs and recorded levels of sleepiness. In a crossover design, on the second and third weeks, the students were exposed to bright light (BL) at either 19:00 or 21:00h. Salivary melatonin samples were collected before and after BL exposure. ANOVA test for repeated measurements were performed. RESULTS: After BL exposure, sleepiness levels were reduced at 20:30 and 22:00h (F=2.2; p<0.05). ANOVA showed statistical differences between time (F=4.84; p=0.04) and between day and time of BL exposure (F=4.24; p=0.05). The results showed effects of melatonin onset at 20:00 and 21:30h and sleepiness levels (F=7.67; p=0.02) and perception of sleepiness and intervention time (F=6.52; p=0.01). CONCLUSION: Controlled exposure to BL during evening hours increased alertness among college students. The effects of BL on sleepiness varied according to the time of melatonin onset.

Harassment at work? Empowerment and autonomy as coping strategies of young workers.

There is a considerable number of researches about workplace violence, but few relate young workers and work harassment. This study aimed to investigate the reported perceptions of young apprentices and trainees about moral harassment at work and related coping strategies. Forty adolescent workers (22 men and 18 women) between 15 and 20 years old who received training by a non-governmental organization in São Paulo, Brazil, participated in the study. Data collection included individual and collective interviews. It was used an in-depth semi structured interview protocol. The discourses were analyzed using the hermeneutic-dialectic frame. Results showed that young workers reported little or no knowledge of strategies to cope with moral harassment at work, showing vulnerability to the effects of aggression. Effective coping strategies at work should embrace two important concepts of health promotion: empowerment and autonomy.

Effects of working full-time and studying in the evening hours among young apprentices and trainees.

OBJECTIVE: This research aims to assess apprentices' and trainees' work conditions, psychosocial factors at work, as well as health symptoms after joining the labor force. BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that there are over 3.5 million young working students in Brazil,this increasing rate brings with it difficult working conditions such as work pressure, heavy workloads,and lack of safety training. METHOD: This study was carried out in a nongovernmental organization (NGO) with 40 young members of a first job program in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. They filled out a comprehensive questionnaire focused on sociodemographic variables, working conditions,and health symptoms. Individual and collective semi-structured interviews were conducted. Empirical data analysis was performed using analysis of content. RESULTS: The majority of participants mentioned difficulties in dealing with the pressure and their share of responsibilities at work. Body pains, headaches, sleep deprivation during the workweek, and frequent colds were mentioned. Lack of appropriate task and safety training contributed to the occurrence of work injuries. CONCLUSION: Having a full-time job during the day coupled with evening high school attendance may jeopardize these people's health and future. APPLICATION: This study can make a contribution to the revision and implementation of work training programs for adolescents. It can also help in the creation of more sensible policies regarding youth employment.

Sleep patterns and sleepiness of working college students.

The double journey (work and study) may result or aggravate health problems, including sleep disturbances, as observed in previous studies with high school students. The aim of this study is to analyze the sleep-wake cycle and perceived sleepiness of working college students during weekdays. Twenty-three healthy college male students, 21-24 years old, working during the day and attending classes in the evening, participated in this study. During five consecutive days, the students filled out daily activities logs and wore actigraphs. Mean sleeping time was lower than 6 hours per night. No significant differences were observed in the sleep-wake cycle during the weekdays. The observed lack of changes in the sleepwake cycle of these college students might occur as participants were not on a free schedule, but exposed to social constraints, as was the regular attendance to evening college and day work activities. Sleepiness worsened over the evening school hours. Those results show the burden carried by College students who perform double activities - work and study.

Assessment of biological components associated with sleepiness in young working college students / Avaliação de componentes biológicos associados à sonolência em jovens universitários trabalhadores

Objetivos: Em humanos, já foi descrita a associação entre o polimorfismo de repetição (VNTR) do gene PER3 e os horários de dormir, afetando a ritmicidade circadiana e a homeostase do sono. O objetivo foi avaliar a associação entre polimorfismos nos genes PER3 e HIOMT com a duração do sono, cronotipo e secreção de melatonina individual. Métodos: Cento e quarenta e seis estudantes preencheram um questionário sobre seus hábitos de sono. Também foram coletadas amostras de mucosa oral para extração de DNA. Resultados: Setenta jovens eram PER34/4 (47,9%), 61 PER34/5 (41,8%) e 15 PER35/5 (10,3%). A duração média do sono, nos dias letivos, dos estudantes PER35/5 com cronotipo intermediário foi de 8h, maior que os estudantes de cronotipo matutino e PER34/4 (5:58h). Nos dias de folga, para os vespertinos, o fim do sono foi atrasado (10:44h) quando comparado aos matutinos (09:38h). Ao serem expostos à luz intensa às 19:00h, seguiram o padrão esperado para aumento da sonolência quando na ausência de intervenções. Mas, quando a exposição ocorreu às 21:00h, o aumento do nível de sonolência para os intermediários foi menor que o padrão. E, para os vespertinos, redução do nível de sonolência às 22:00h. Ao se analisar os genótipos para os genes PER3 e HIOMT, foi verificado um haplótipo específico para o gene HIOMT, que está associado aos níveis de melatonina às 19h e também após a exposição à luz intensa, às 19:20h. Conclusões: Quando não há limitantes sociais para os horários de sono, os cronotipos expressam diferentes perfis de sono, que são associados, em parte, com o genótipo do VNTR do gene PER3.

Violência psicológica e assédio moral no trabalho: percepção e estratégias de enfrentamento de adolescentes trabalhadores / Psychological violence and harassment at work perception and coping strategies of adolescent workers

Introdução - A violência no trabalho geralmente consiste em desequilíbrio nas relações interpessoais. Centra-se no abuso de poder, em ameaças e ações desrespeitosas. A violência psicológica no trabalho pode se apresentar como uma situação pontual ou de forma sistemática, como no assédio moral no trabalho. Ambos podem causar ou contribuir com várias psicopatologias, doenças psicossomáticas ou distúrbios de comportamento, conforme estudos divulgados pela Organização Mundial da Saúde e Organização Internacional do Trabalho. Objetivo - Investigar e discutir as experiências relatadas por jovens aprendizes e estagiários acerca de situações abusivas e de assédio moral ocorridos no trabalho. Procedimentos metodológicos - Foram entrevistados 40 (quarenta) adolescentes entre 15 e 20 anos de idade, sendo 22 homens e 18 mulheres, alunos do Programa de Estágio e do Programa de Aprendizagem Profissional de uma instituição não governamental de São Paulo, Capital. Pela semelhança encontrada nos relatos de aprendizes e estagiários, estes foram aqui apresentados e analisados independentemente da divisão inicial entre os grupos. Para apreender o significado dos discursos dos jovens, as informações foram analisadas com o olhar da análise hermenêutico-dialética. Resultados As categorias empíricas surgidas após a análise foram: expectativas, relacionamentos interpessoais, mal-estar no trabalho, percepção a respeito do assédio moral no trabalho, enfrentando o assédio moral no trabalho. Um tema central que emergiu nas falas dos adolescentes foi: Mal-estar no trabalho onde foram classificados todos os relatos dos adolescentes, aprendizes e estagiários, a respeito de situações de humilhação, abusos de poder, constrangimentos e assédio sexual. Algumas situações de humilhação sofridas nas empresas estão ligadas à condição social dos adolescentes trabalhadores entrevistados, geralmente moradores de bairros periféricos da cidade de São Paulo, cujas famílias são de baixa renda e baixa escolaridade. Conclusões - O estudo revela que os adolescentes recém-ingressantes no mundo do trabalho estão expostos a situações de estresse psicológico no trabalho. Também foi observado que, conhecer a legislação trabalhista não é garantia de proteção, pois enfrentar uma situação abusiva cometida por um superior hierárquico remete à possibilidade de punição ou demissão. Contudo, o conhecimento a respeito de direitos e deveres pode ser um meio de evitar ou contornar situações claras de exploração.