Nature and Science of Sleep (May 2021)

Prevalence of Probable Shift Work Disorder in Non-Standard Work Schedules and Associations with Sleep, Health and Safety Outcomes: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

  • Reynolds AC,
  • Ferguson SA,
  • Appleton SL,
  • Crowther ME,
  • Melaku YA,
  • Gill TK,
  • Rajaratnam SMW,
  • Adams RJ

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 13
pp. 683 – 693

Abstract

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Amy C Reynolds,1,2 Sally A Ferguson,2 Sarah L Appleton,1 Meagan E Crowther,2 Yohannes Adama Melaku,1 Tiffany K Gill,3 Shantha MW Rajaratnam,4 Robert J Adams1 1Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (Sleep Health)/Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia; 2Appleton Institute, CQ University Australia, Wayville, SA, Australia; 3Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; 4School of Psychological Sciences and Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, AustraliaCorrespondence: Amy C ReynoldsCollege of Medicine & Public Health, Flinders University, Level 2, Mark Oliphant Building, 5 Laffer Drive, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, AustraliaTel +61 4 07 525 047Email [email protected]: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of probable shift work disorder (pSWD) in a representative sample of Australian workers and identify sleep, health and safety correlates.Patients and Methods: In 2019, data were collected from working respondents as part of a cross-sectional national sleep health survey conducted online (n=964 total; n=448 individuals on non-standard work schedules). We established the prevalence of pSWD according to International Classification of Sleep Disorders criteria (ICSD-R, ICSD-2 and ICSD-3). Poisson regression was used to determine crude and adjusted prevalence association (prevalence ratio, PR) of pSWD with sleep, health and safety outcomes.Results: Overall prevalence of pSWD in workers on non-standard work schedules was 10.5%, ranging from 9.6% in early morning workers to 12.7% in rotating shift workers. In adjusted models, workers who met the criteria for pSWD were 1.8 times more likely to report both depression/bipolar disorder, and anxiety/panic disorder, and 1.7 times more likely to report work errors due to a sleep problem.Conclusion: The prevalence of pSWD in employees engaged in non-standard work schedules is influenced by selection of factors used to quantify pSWD, including sleep/wake patterns. Higher likelihoods of mental health problems and workplace errors in those with pSWD highlight the importance of intervention and management of this under-recognised sleep disorder.Keywords: sleep, sleep disorder, safety, mental health, occupational health, workplace

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