Dietary Rhythmicity and Mental Health Among Airline Personnel.

Importance: Misaligned dietary rhythmicity has been associated with metabolic diseases; however, its association with mental health remains largely unexplored. Objective: To examine the association between dietary rhythms and the mental health condition of shift workers, specifically airline crew members. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study analyzed data collected from the Civil Aviation Health Cohort of China, an ongoing large-scale health survey of pilots, flight attendants, and air security officers employed by major airline companies in China. Participants aged 18 to 60 years were invited through text messages to complete a web-based survey. The data collection period was December 2022 to March 2023. Statistical analysis was performed from July 24, 2023, to April 12, 2024. Exposure: Data on timing of breakfast and dinner on workdays and rest days, daily time windows for food intake, and meal and eating jet lags were collected and calculated. Main Outcomes and Measures: Anxiety and depressive symptoms were measured using the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed to evaluate the associations of anxiety and depression with meal timing, eating window time, meal jet lag (ie, delayed meals), and eating jet lag (ie, delayed eating). All models were adjusted for individual socioeconomic, demographic, and lifestyle characteristics. Results: Of the 22 617 participants (median [IQR] age, 29.1 [26.3-33.7] years; 13 712 males [60.6%]), 1755 (7.8%) had anxiety and 2768 (12.2%) had depression. After controlling for confounding factors, having dinner after 8 pm on morning-shift days was associated with increased odds of anxiety (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.78; 95% CI, 1.53-2.05) and depression (AOR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.78-2.27), compared with consuming dinner before 8 pm. Similar results were observed on night-shift days and rest days. An eating window of less than 12 hours was associated with reduced odds of anxiety (AOR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.75-0.93) and depression (AOR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.75-0.89) on morning-shift days; the results remained significant on rest days. Delayed dinner on morning-shift days was associated with increased odds of anxiety (AOR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.13-1.54) and depression (AOR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.22-1.58). On night-shift days, delayed dinner was associated with higher odds of anxiety (AOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.06-1.39) and depression (AOR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.08-1.36). On morning-shift days, delayed eating rhythms were associated with higher odds of depression (AOR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.13-1.61), whereas advanced eating rhythms were associated with lower odds of anxiety (AOR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.70-0.87). Conclusions and Relevance: This cross-sectional study found that meal timing, long eating window, and meal jet lags were associated with increased odds of depression and anxiety. These findings underscore the need for interventions and supportive policies that help mitigate the adverse implications of shift work and irregular working hours for the mental health of shift workers.

More than sleep problems? Testing five key health behaviors as reasons for quality of life issues among shift workers.

BACKGROUND: The shift work schedule is a common work arrangement that can disrupt typical sleep-wake rhythms and lead to negative health consequences. The present study aims to examine the effect of shift work on health-related quality of life (QoL) and explore potential behaviorial mediators (i.e., sleep, eating, exercise, smoking, drinking). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 4,449 petroleum workers in southwest China. Data on shift work status, health behaviors, and physical and mental health QoL were collected. We tested our model using path analysis and the Monte Carlo approach among 2,129 included participants. RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, shift work did not exhibit a significant direct association with QoL. However, shift work indirectly related to poorer physical health quality of life via less frequent healthy food consumption; shift work also indirectly related to poorer mental health QoL via both less frequent healthy food consumption and physical exercise. No significant indirect effects were found via sleeping, smoking, or drinking. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that shift work presents a challenge for QoL among Chinese petroleum workers due to their lesser engagement in two specific health behaviors: healthy eating and physical exercise. Healthy eating and exercise may present an even more prominent threat to shift workers' QoL than sleep and substance use. Strategies targeting shift work schedule as well as eating and exercise behaviors may help protect against poor QoL and adverse physical and mental health outcomes in this vulnerable group.

Unpaid overtime and mental health in the Canadian working population.

BACKGROUND: Unpaid overtime-describing a situation where extra hours are worked but not paid for-is a common feature of the labor market that, together with other forms of wage theft, costs workers billions of dollars annually. In this study, we examine the association between unpaid overtime and mental health in the Canadian working population. We also assess the relative strength of that association by comparing it against those of other broadly recognized work stressors. METHODS: Data were drawn from a survey administered to a heterogeneous sample of workers in Canada (n = 3691). Generalized linear models quantified associations between unpaid overtime, stress, and burnout, distinguishing between moderate (1-5) and excessive (6 or more) hours of unpaid overtime. RESULTS: Unpaid overtime was associated with higher levels of stress and burnout. Relative to those working no unpaid overtime, men working excessive unpaid overtime were 85% more likely to report stress (prevalence ratios [PR]: 1.85, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.26-2.72) and 84% more likely to report burnout (PR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.34-2.54), while women working excessive unpaid overtime were 90% more likely to report stress (PR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.32-2.75) and 52% more likely to report burnout (PR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.12-2.06). The association of excessive unpaid overtime with mental health was comparable in magnitude to that of shift work and low job control. CONCLUSIONS: Unpaid overtime may present a significant challenge to the mental health of working people, highlighting the potential role of wage theft as a neglected occupational health hazard.

Sleep duration and quality of Brazilian nursing staff who work in shifts.

OBJECTIVE: to analyze sleep duration and sleep quality in nursing professionals who work in shifts. METHOD: this is a cross-sectional, analytical research, carried out between September 2017 and April 2018, at a public hospital in southern Brazil, with the nursing team. A socio-occupational and health symptoms questionnaire, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used. Data are presented as descriptive and inferential statistics, bivariate analysis, and binary logistic regression. RESULTS: participants were 308 nursing professionals with a predominance of long-term sleep, absence of drowsiness, and poor sleep quality. Short-term sleep (<6h) was associated with day shift and poor sleep quality. Sleep quality was associated with presence excessive daytime sleepiness and work day shift. CONCLUSION: work shift, insomnia and headache were the main factors related short-term sleep for nursing professionals. The results may justify the development of intervention research for workers' health.

An organizational working time reduction and its impact on three domains of mental well-being of employees: a panel study.

BACKGROUND: Work hours are an important aspect of one's job and these in turn have the potential to impact people's well-being. Much research investigating the link between working hours and well-being uses cross-sectional data. Longitudinal studies, especially those studying the same subjects changing their working time, can study the impact of work time more clearly. Using panel data, this study aims to explore the impact of a reduction in working time on three domains of well-being: general well-being, job-related well-being (positive work experience) and work-family well-being (work-family conflict). In addition, our study offers insights into the role of concomitant changes in work and private circumstances of employees as we investigate whether the impact of shorter working hours for well-being is mediated by changes in the participants' and circumstances related to paid and unpaid work resources. METHOD: An organization of about 60 (female) employees trialed a shorter workweek for one calendar year in 2019. All full-time employees reduced their hours. The part-time working employees can be used as a control group. Panel data (survey and time-use diary data) of a 30-h workweek trial in Belgium was collected in four waves over two years in a pre- and post-intervention design. Change over time (waves) was analyzed through multilevel growth models. RESULT: A decrease in work-family conflict was observed during the shorter workweek. Part of this decrease is explained by concomitant changes in work and private circumstances, such as sufficiency in free time, schedule control, and satisfaction with work pressure. Positive work experience and general well-being tend to have decreased during the shorter workweek, although this could partly be explained by other organizational changes and not by the reduction in working hours per se. Schedule control helped suppress these somewhat negative effects of organizational changes on positive work experience. CONCLUSION: Reduced working hours have the largest and most positive impact on work-family conflict. The feeling of having enough leisure time contributes to this increased well-being. Especially for women, who were the majority in this study, a reduction in working time might be beneficial as they often bear more responsibility for household work and care tasks. Next to the duration of working time, schedule control/autonomy has an important impact on well-being.

Hybrid working from home improves retention without damaging performance.

Working from home has become standard for employees with a university degree. The most common scheme, which has been adopted by around 100 million employees in Europe and North America, is a hybrid schedule, in which individuals spend a mix of days at home and at work each week1,2. However, the effects of hybrid working on employees and firms have been debated, and some executives argue that it damages productivity, innovation and career development3-5. Here we ran a six-month randomized control trial investigating the effects of hybrid working from home on 1,612 employees in a Chinese technology company in 2021-2022. We found that hybrid working improved job satisfaction and reduced quit rates by one-third. The reduction in quit rates was significant for non-managers, female employees and those with long commutes. Null equivalence tests showed that hybrid working did not affect performance grades over the next two years of reviews. We found no evidence for a difference in promotions over the next two years overall, or for any major employee subgroup. Finally, null equivalence tests showed that hybrid working had no effect on the lines of code written by computer-engineer employees. We also found that the 395 managers in the experiment revised their surveyed views about the effect of hybrid working on productivity, from a perceived negative effect (-2.6% on average) before the experiment to a perceived positive one (+1.0%) after the experiment. These results indicate that a hybrid schedule with two days a week working from home does not damage performance.

Decoding the impact of night/day shiftwork on well-being among healthcare workers.

This study delved into the complex effects of work schedules on the well-being of healthcare professionals, spotlighting Nigeria's medical landscape. A diverse cohort of 387 participants, spanning doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and laboratory technicians or scientists, formed the research base, with the majority being women (67.7%), with a mean age of 34.67 years. Professionals self-reported their predominant schedules to gauge work patterns, classifying them as day or night shifts. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) tool assessed the quality of life across the physical, psychological, social relationship, and environmental domains. Psychological distress was measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS), and perceived social support was evaluated via the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). A cross-sectional design was adopted, and the study employed moderated mediation analysis using SmartPLS 4.0. The results underscored the significant ramifications of night shifts on environmental and physical well-being. Psychological health and social relationships were better among day shift than night shift workers. There was a pronounced correlation between night shifts and heightened levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. The mediating role of psychological distress and the moderating influence of social support in these relationships were evident. This study offers invaluable insights into the role of work schedules in shaping the well-being of healthcare professionals, emphasising the protective role of social support and the unique challenges faced by migrant health workers.

Shift schedules and circadian preferences: the association with sleep and mood.

Object: We explored the circadian preferences of non-shift workers (non-SWs) and various types of shift workers (SWs), and the associations of these preferences with sleep and mood. Methods: In total, 4,561 SWs (2,419 women and 2,142 men aged 37.00 ± 9.80 years) and 2,093 non-SWs (1,094 women and 999 men aged 37.80 ± 9.73 years) completed an online survey. Of all SWs, 2,415 (1,079 women and 1,336 men aged 37.77 ± 9.96 years) reported regularly rotating or fixed schedules ("regular SWs"), and 2,146 (1,340 women and 806 men aged 36.12 ± 9.64 years) had irregular schedules ("irregular SWs"). Of the regular SWs, 2,040 had regularly rotating schedules, 212 had fixed evening schedules, and 163 had fixed night schedules. All participants completed the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) exploring circadian preferences, the short form of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) evaluating depression, the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Results: Compared to non-SWs, SWs had lower MEQ scores, i.e., more eveningness, after controlling for age, gender, income, occupation, and weekly work hours (F = 87.97, p < 0.001). Irregular SWs had lower MEQ scores than regular SWs (F = 50.89, p < 0.001). Among regular SWs, the MEQ scores of fixed evening and fixed night SWs were lower than those of regularly rotating SWs (F = 22.42, p < 0.001). An association between the MEQ and ESS scores was apparent in non-SWs (r = -0.85, p < 0.001) but not in SWs (r = 0.001, p = 0.92). Conclusion: SWs exhibited more eveningness than non-SWs; eveningness was particularly prominent in SWs with irregular or fixed evening/night shifts. Eveningness was associated with sleepiness only in non-SWs, but not in SWs.

Life onboard a submarine: Sleep, fatigue, and lifestyle behaviors of sailors on a circadian-aligned watchstanding schedule.

This study characterizes, for the first time, the lives of U.S. Navy submariners engaged in normal, sea-based operations while following a circadian-aligned 24-h watchstanding schedule. Fifty-eight submarine crewmembers provided objective (actigraphy) and subjective (questionnaires) sleep data, and information about mood and lifestyle behaviors during 30 days underway. Projected performance scores and estimated circadian phase times were also calculated from actigraphy-based sleep/wake data. Submariners' objective (6.62 ± 0.94 h; mean ± SD) and subjective (5.90 ± 1.38 h) daily sleep quantities while underway were largely comparable to the sleep reportedly received by Sailors across other Navy platforms and watchstanding schedules. Additionally, submariners' actigraphy-predicted circadian phases shifted progressively toward better alignment with watchstanding schedules across time. Nevertheless, subjective sleep quality was low, submariners engaged in unfavorable lifestyle behaviors (lack of regular meals and exercise), and participants reported decreased mood at the completion of their underway time. Recommendations for countermeasure development are provided.

Impact of on-call shifts on working memory and the role of burnout, sleep, and mental well-being in trainee physicians.

BACKGROUND: Optimal cognitive functions, including working memory (WM), are crucial to enable trainee physicians to perform and excel in their clinical practice. Several risk factors, including on-call shifts, poor mental health, burnout, and sleep problems, can impair clinical practice in trainee physicians, potentially through cognitive impairment; however, these associations have not been fully explored. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effect of on-call shifts on WM among trainee physicians and its association with burnout, depression, anxiety, affect, and sleep. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 83 trainee physicians (45% male). We measured demographic and training-related factors including on-call shifts and working hours. We also assessed depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), both state and trait anxiety (STAI total score), burnout (OLBI total score), positive and negative affect scores (PANAS), and sleep disturbances (PSQI total score). WM was evaluated using spatial working memory (SWM) strategy scores that reflected performance and total error counts. RESULTS: Trainee physicians with more on-calls per month had significantly worse depressive symptoms, burnout scores, and sleep, as well as more negative affect. While controlling for covariates, being on-call more times per month was significantly associated with worse WM. Worse depressive symptoms and burnout scores were also significantly associated with impaired WM. CONCLUSION: Working more on-call shifts is associated with compromised WM. Trainee physicians who experienced more depressive symptoms and burnout had worse WM.

Presenteeism and sleep duration on workdays and days off.

BACKGROUND: Presenteeism refers to being present at work but experiencing reduced productivity due to health problems, and has been known to be related to sleep loss. Workers commonly sleep longer on days off than on workdays, and presenteeism may be reduced with extended sleep on days off. AIMS: This study aimed to determine the association between sleep duration both on workdays and days off and presenteeism. METHODS: The participants were 1967 workers who engaged in work for 5 days and rested for 2 days weekly. Sleep duration was classified into less than 6 hours (short; S), 6-8 hours (medium; M), and 9 hours or longer (long; L), for workdays and days off, respectively. Presenteeism was assessed using the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire. RESULTS: On both workdays and days off, compared to medium sleep duration, short sleep duration was significantly associated with increased odds of presenteeism. The odds of presenteeism were significantly increased for S-S (odds ratio [OR] 2.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]1.40-3.37), S-M (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.14-2.22), S-L (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.05-7.00), and M-S (OR 6.82, 95% CI 2.71-17.17) combined sleep duration for workdays and days off, respectively, compared to an M-M (reference). CONCLUSIONS: Sleep loss on workdays cannot be compensated for with longer sleep on days off. This study suggests that sufficient sleep duration on both workdays and days off is important for reducing presenteeism.

Life satisfaction and job and personal resources among public workers with non-standard work schedules.

BACKGROUND: While the link between non-standard work schedules and poor health outcomes is established, few studies have examined how resources both in and outside of work can support the well-being of workers with non-standard work schedules. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional survey, we assessed the association between one facet of well-being, life satisfaction, and job and personal resources. In 2019, an electronic survey was administered to two unionized, public service populations who work non-standard work schedules: transportation maintainers and correctional supervisors. We assessed life satisfaction with a 10-item scale; a broad set of job resources (reward satisfaction, supervisor support, co-worker support, schedule satisfaction, and working hours fit); and a broad set of personal resources (health status, sleep, physical activity, and finances). We used log-binomial regression models to estimate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals among statistically significant univariate predictors. RESULTS: Of the 316 workers surveyed, the majority were male (86%), White (68%), and reported positive life satisfaction (56%). In multivariate models, the prevalence of positive life satisfaction was higher in workers reporting reward satisfaction (PR:1.35, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.65; p = 0.003), good work schedule fit (PR:1.43, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.83; p = 0.004), good health (PR:2.92, 95% CI: 1.70, 4.99; p < 0.0001), and good finances (PR:1.32, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.72; p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Employers should consider increasing work recognition, as well as improving schedule fit, financial well-being, and overall good health in support of worker life satisfaction and ultimately well-being.

Work hours, weekend working, nonstandard work schedules and sleep quantity and quality: findings from the UK household longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Atypical temporal work patterns such as working longer than the standard 35-40 h/ week, weekend working, and nonstandard work schedules (i.e. outside of the typical 9-5, including but not restricted to shiftwork) are increasingly prevalent in the UK. Aside from occupation-specific studies, little is known about the effects of these atypical temporal work patterns on sleep among workers in the UK, even though poor sleep has been linked to adverse health problems, lower workplace productivity, and economic costs. METHOD: We used regression models to investigate associations between three types of atypical temporal work patterns (long and short weekly work hours, weekend working, and nonstandard schedules) and sleep duration and disturbance using data from over 25,000 employed men and women from 2012-2014 and/or 2015-2017 in the UK Household Longitudinal Study, adjusting for potential confounders and psychosocial work factors. RESULTS: We found that relative to a standard 35-40 h/week, working 55 h/week or more was related to short sleep (less than 7 h/night) and sleep disturbance. Working most/all weekends compared to non-weekends was associated with short sleep, long sleep (more than 8 h/night), and sleep disturbance, as was working nonstandard schedules relative to standard schedules (fixed day-time schedules). Further analyses suggested some gender differences. CONCLUSIONS: These results should prompt employers and policymakers to recognise the need for rest and recovery, consider how the timing and scheduling of work might be improved to better support workers' health and productivity, and consider appropriate compensation for anyone required to work atypical temporal work patterns.

Latent class analysis of the sleep quality of night shift nurses and impact of shift-related factors on the occupational stress and anxiety.

AIMS: The objective of this study is to explore the various latent categories within the sleep quality of night shift nurses and to investigate whether shift-related factors predispose nurses to higher levels of occupational stress and anxiety. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study. METHODS: From November to December 2020, registered nurses from 18 tertiary hospitals and 16 secondary hospitals in Chongqing were selected through convenience sampling for this study. Latent class analysis was used to investigate the sleep quality of nurses working night shifts. Furthermore, univariate analysis and logistic multivariate analysis were utilized to identify the contributing factors to occupational stress and anxiety. RESULTS: The four latent categories of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index for night shift nurses were identified as 'Low Sleep Disorder Group' (56.34%), 'Moderate Sleep Disorder Group' (37.27%), 'High Sleep Disorder Non-Reliant on Sleeping medication Group' (4.89%) and 'High Sleep Disorder Reliant on Sleeping medication Group' (1.50%). The results showed that having a night-shift frequency of 3-4 times per month, night-shift durations of 9-12 h, sleep time delay after night shift (≥2 h), total sleep time after night shift less than 4 h were shift-related factors that increased the levels of occupational stress and anxiety. CONCLUSION: The sleep quality of night shift nurses demonstrates heterogeneity and can be classified into four latent categories. Higher frequency of night shifts, extended work hours and insufficient rest time are all associated with increased levels of occupational stress and anxiety. IMPACT: By identifying the four latent categories of sleep quality among night shift nurses, this study sheds light on the relationship between sleep patterns and levels of occupational stress and anxiety. These findings have important implications for healthcare institutions in the management of nurse well-being and work schedules. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

"Multivariate analysis of the impact of sleep and working hours on medical errors: a MICE approach".

BACKGROUND: The main objective of this study was to describe the relationship between working conditions, sleep and psycho-affective variables and medical errors. METHODS: This was an observational, analytical and cross-sectional study in which 661 medical residents answered questionnaires about working conditions, sleep and psycho-affective variables. Actigraphic sleep parameters and peripheral temperature circadian rhythm were measured in a subgroup of 38 subjects. Bivariate and multivariate predictors of medical errors were assessed. RESULTS: Medical residents reported working 66.2 ± 21.9 weekly hours. The longest continuous shift was of 28.4 ± 10.9 h. They reported sleeping 6.1 ± 1.6 h per day, with a sleep debt of 94 ± 129 min in workdays. A high percentage of them reported symptoms related to psycho-affective disorders. The longest continuous shift duration (OR = 1.03 [95% CI, 1.00-1.05], p = 0.01), working more than six monthly on-call shifts (OR = 1.87 [95% CI, 1.16-3.02], p = 0.01) and sleeping less than six hours per working day (OR = 1.66 [95% CI, 1.10-2.51], p = 0.02) were independently associated with self-reported medical errors. The report of medical errors was associated with an increase in the percentage of diurnal sleep (2.2% [95% CI, 0.1-4.3] vs 14.5% [95% CI, 5.9-23.0]; p = 0.01) in the actigraphic recording. CONCLUSIONS: Medical residents have a high working hour load that affect their sleep opportunities, circadian rhythms and psycho-affective health, which are also related to the report of medical errors. These results highlight the importance of implementing multidimensional strategies to improve medical trainees' sleep and wellbeing, increasing in turn their own and patients' safety.

Associations between excessive fatigue and pain, sleep, mental-health and work factors in Norwegian nurses.

AIM: To investigate whether pain, sleep duration, insomnia, sleepiness, work-related factors, anxiety, and depression associate with excessive fatigue in nurses. BACKGROUND: Fatigue among nurses is a problem in the context of ongoing nursing shortages. While myriad factors are associated with fatigue not all relationships are understood. Prior studies have not examined excessive fatigue in the context of pain, sleep, mental health, and work factors in a working population to determine if associations between excessive fatigue and each of these factors remain when adjusting for each other. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire study among 1,335 Norwegian nurses. The questionnaire included measures for fatigue (Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire, score ≥4 categorized as excessive fatigue), pain, sleep duration, insomnia (Bergen Insomnia Scale), daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and work-related factors. Associations between the exposure variables and excessive fatigue were analyzed using chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: In the fully adjusted model, significant associations were found between excessive fatigue and pain severity scores for arms/wrists/hands (adjusted OR (aOR) = 1.09, CI = 1.02-1.17), hips/legs/knees/feet (aOR = 1.11, CI = 1.05-1.18), and headaches/migraines (aOR = 1.16, CI = 1.07-1.27), sleep duration of <6 hours (aOR = 2.02, CI = 1.08-3.77), and total symptom scores for insomnia (aOR = 1.05, CI = 1.03-1.08), sleepiness (aOR = 1.11, CI = 1.06-1.17), anxiety (aOR = 1.09, CI = 1.03-1.16), and depression (aOR = 1.24, CI = 1.16-1.33). The musculoskeletal complaint-severity index score (aOR = 1.27, CI = 1.13-1.42) was associated with excessive fatigue in a separate model adjusted for all variables and demographics. Excessive fatigue was also associated with shift work disorder (OR = 2.25, CI = 1.76-2.89) in a model adjusted for demographics. We found no associations with shift work, number of night shifts and number of quick returns (<11 hours between shifts) in the fully adjusted model. CONCLUSION: Excessive fatigue was associated with pain, sleep- and mental health-factors in a fully adjusted model.

Retired night shift workers exhibit poorer neurocognitive function compared to retired day workers.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Shift work is associated with compromised cognitive function, and with chronic exposure, may place shift workers at elevated risk for dementia. However, evidence of cognitive impairment among former night shift workers is mixed, possibly due to inconsistencies regarding retirement status, work history classification, and cognitive assessments. To address these limitations, this study compared neurocognitive function between retired night shift workers and retired day workers using a well-characterized sample and a rigorous neurocognitive test battery. METHODS: Participants (N = 61; mean age: 67.9 ± 4.7 years; 61% females; 13% non-white) were 31 retired day workers and 30 retired night shift workers equated on age, sex, race/ethnicity, premorbid IQ, years retired, and diary-assessed habitual sleep characteristics. Participants completed a neurocognitive battery assessing six cognitive domains (language, visuospatial ability, attention, immediate and delayed memory, executive function) and self-reported cognitive function. Linear regression models compared groups on individual cognitive domains, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education level, and habitual sleep quality. RESULTS: Retired night shift workers scored lower than retired day workers on attention (B = -0.38, 95% CI [-0.75, -0.02], p = .040) and executive function (B = -0.55, 95% CI [-0.92, -0.17], p = .005). In post hoc analyses, attention and executive function were unrelated to diary-assessed habitual sleep characteristics (disruption, timing, and irregularity) in retired night shift workers. CONCLUSIONS: The observed cognitive weaknesses in retired night shift workers may suggest increased risk for future dementia. Retired night shift workers should be followed to determine whether observed weaknesses progress.

Sleep in Residents: A Comparison between Anesthesiology and Occupational Medicine Interns.

Sleep deprivation is a significant risk to the health and judgment of physicians. We wanted to investigate whether anesthesiology residents (ARs) who work only one night shift per week have different physical and mental health from occupational medicine residents (OMRs) who do not work at night. A total of 21 ARs and 16 OMRs attending a university general hospital were asked to wear an actigraph to record sleep duration, heart rate and step count and to complete a questionnaire for the assessment of sleep quality, sleepiness, fatigue, occupational stress, anxiety, depression and happiness. ARs had shorter sleep duration than OMRs; on average, they slept 1 h and 20 min less (p < 0.001). ARs also had greater daytime sleepiness, a higher heart rate and lower happiness than OMRs. These results should be interpreted with caution given the cross-sectional nature of the study and the small sample size, but they are an incentive to promote sleep hygiene among residents.