Article

Association between long working hours and sleep problems in white-collar workers

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  • Fujitsu Component Ltd.
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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the association between long work hours and sleep disturbance among white-collar workers. We evaluated 1510 male white-collar full-time employees, between the ages of 18 and 59 years, using a comprehensive sleep quality questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). All subjects worked in a light metal products factory in Japan. The mean number of monthly overtime work hours was determined using data from the previous 6 months from timecard records. Subjects were divided into five groups based on quintiles of the mean number of monthly overtime work hours: <26 h month(-1); ≥26 but <40; ≥40 but <50; ≥50 but <63; and >63. Leisure time physical activity, drinking habits just before sleep, presence of family/partner and health status were used as confounding factors in the multiple regression model. The prevalence of short sleep hours, impairment of sleep efficiency and daytime dysfunction among seven components of PSQI increased, in a dose-response relationship, with overtime work hours. The prevalence of high global score (>5.5 points) was highest in workers with overtime hours ≥50 h week(-1). The odds ratios after adjustment for confounding factors for high global score using less than 26 h as a reference group were 1.67 for workers with ≥50 h and <63 h, and 1.87 for workers with 63 h and more. To conclude, the present results suggest that long work hours correlate with reduced sleep quality in a dose-response manner.

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... Overall, the extant literature has explored the relationships between various aspects of quality of life attributes with sleep quality. Among other factors, these include satisfaction with residence and income (Sandberg et al. 2014;Wu et al. 2018), physical and mental health (Giannotti et al. 2002;Rezaei et al. 2017), eating habits and obesity (Kripke et al. 2002), sport and physical activities (Dubinina et al. 2021;Mahfouz et al. 2020), social connections (Kent et al. 2018;Troxel et al. 2007), the environment (Carskadon & Dement 2000;Gaultney & Collins-Mcneil 2009), time spent online (Cellini et al. 2020;Levenson et al. 2016), as well as work-life balance and sleep duration (Bin 2016;Nakashima et al. 2011). ...
... Many studies have mainly addressed work-related elements and practices and associated work-life balance with sleep quality (Dahlgren et al. 2016;Nakashima et al. 2011). The roles of lifestyle, shift work, prolonged working hours, and irregular schedules in sleep disorders are often highlighted (Ohayon 2002). ...
... Work-life balance is the second most significant wellbeing determinant for sleep quality. Again, it supports other research that relates work-related practices associated with work-life balance to play a significant role in sleep quality (Nakashima et al. 2011;Ohayon 2002;Sleep Foundation 2022). The positive association between work-life balance and sleep quality and the mediation of subjective health is also noted by similar research that used different analysis methodologies (Basner et al. 2007;Dahlgren et al. 2006). ...
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Background Sleep quality has significant impacts on many aspects of quality of life. Therefore, identifying the association of sleep quality with that quality of life domains could lead to deeper insights for social policymakers and professionals to enhance their understanding of the lives of Abu Dhabi working adults. This research focuses on sleep quality among working people in Abu Dhabi. The direct and indirect associations of sleep quality with various quality-of-life domains such as income and housing, physical and mental health, sport and activities, eating habits and obesity, work-life balance, online hours, and social connections are investigated and discussed. Methods Data were drawn from 36,515 full-time employees in both public, and private sectors, obtained from the third Abu Dhabi Quality of Life (QoL) survey aimed to cover all community members using online platforms. Informed by international research on sleep quality, preliminary investigation using correlation analysis and simple regression identified many well-being variables deemed necessary for inclusion in the path model. Path analysis was then performed. Results The final path model produced excellent fit measures. The significant variables directly associated with sleep quality included sleeping hours, social connection, satisfaction with income, satisfaction with residence, subjective physical and mental health, income satisfaction, satisfaction with the surrounding environment, frequency of eating healthy food, work-life balance, and online time. In addition, most variables recorded an indirect association to sleep quality through subjective health. Conclusions The importance of multidimensional linkages between many well-being factors influencing sleep quality and subjective health is underscored.
... Sleep quality is influenced by working conditions, particularly long work hours and shift work. Working very long hours, generally considered more than 60 h per week in Australia (ABS, 2021), is associated with both reduced sleep duration and quality (Virtanen et al., 2009;Nakashima et al., 2011;Kim and Lee, 2015). Shift workers and workers with high workloads and job stress are more likely to experience disturbed sleep (Akerstedt et al., 2002a;Akerstedt et al., 2002b;Deng et al., 2020). ...
... Long work hours, work stress, and shift work in relation to health more generally and also sleep quality have been extensively researched (Härmä et al., 2018;Nakashima et al., 2011;Virtanen et al., 2009;Kim and Lee, 2015), however, there is little evidence on the association between work intensity and sleep quality. Long weekly working hours are associated with shortened hours of sleep and difficulty falling asleep (Virtanen et al., 2009;Nakashima et al., 2011;Kim and Lee, 2015). ...
... Long work hours, work stress, and shift work in relation to health more generally and also sleep quality have been extensively researched (Härmä et al., 2018;Nakashima et al., 2011;Virtanen et al., 2009;Kim and Lee, 2015), however, there is little evidence on the association between work intensity and sleep quality. Long weekly working hours are associated with shortened hours of sleep and difficulty falling asleep (Virtanen et al., 2009;Nakashima et al., 2011;Kim and Lee, 2015). Workers with long work hours report having less time for sleep or that they are too tired resulting in them taking longer to mentally unwind before bedtime (Meijman et al., 1992;Sluiter, 1999). ...
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Experiencing poor sleep quality affects an individual's health and wellbeing. Sleep quality is well evidenced to be influenced by work conditions such as long work hours, work stress and shift work, but there is little evidence on the relationship between high work intensity and sleep quality. Using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey waves 2013 and 2017, this study applies lagged models to investigate whether experiencing poor sleep, a derived comprehensive measure of sleep quality, is associated with work intensity. This study uses a nationally representative sample of 13,661 working Australian individuals aged 25-64 and finds a strong positive association between work intensity and sleep quality, with an individual's sleep quality worsening as their work intensity increased. The association between work intensity and sleep quality is even stronger than that between long work hours and sleep quality. This suggests a potential benefit for the development and implementation of workplace policies that seek to reduce work intensity. Doing so could help address challenges surrounding sleep in Australia and lead to better work and health outcomes for individuals, workplaces and broader society.
... Most industries face a major challenge in maintaining a healthy and productive workforce [15], it is necessary to explore how work-related factors affect the sleep quality among working adults in a Chinese culture. Insufficient recovery because of sleep disturbances is considered a key component of the pathway leading from long working hours to health problems [16]. It is said that sleep problems are often associated with fatigue, which usually diminish following a recovery period. ...
... For the seven different specific sleep disturbance components in the PSQI index, subjects meeting the following criteria were regarded as having a sleep problem in the current study [16]: government employees who responded fairly bad or very bad for subjective sleep quality were defined as poor subjective sleep quality; government employees who responded cannot get to sleep within 30 min at least once a week were defined as long sleep latency; government employees who responded 6 h or less for sleep duration were defined as short sleep duration; government employees had a sleep efficiency (actual sleep duration/time in bed*100) of <75% were defined as impairment of sleep efficiency; government employees who have experienced, at least once a week, wake up in the middle of the night or early morning were defined as sleep disturbances; government employees who have experienced, at least once a week, taking sleep medication to help induce sleep were defined as use of sleep medication; government employees who have experienced, at least once a week, have trouble staying awake in daily activities or have problems to maintain enough enthusiasm to get things performed were defined as daytime dysfunction. ...
... We found that Chinese government employees who experienced long working hours was associated with higher levels of poor sleep quality, which was consist with other studies [16,23,38,39]. For the specific components, poor subjective sleep quality, long sleep latency was more prevalent among subjects with longer work hours, as well as short sleep duration, impairment of sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction. ...
Article
Currently, evidence on the associations between long working hours and sleep disturbances among the Chinese workers is lacking. This study aimed at explore the possible associations and underlying mechanisms between long working hours and sleep disturbances among Chinese government employees. A total of 16206 government employees were recruited at baseline and 11806 of which were available at follow-up. A digital self-reported questionnaire platform was established to collect information. Sleep disturbances were assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), long working hours was assessed by self-report. Binary logistic regression analysis and path analysis were conducted. The results showed that long working hours at baseline were significantly associated with poor sleep quality at follow up (OR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.12 - 1.47). Long working hours at baseline were significantly associated with some specific sleep disturbance components at follow-up including long sleep latency (OR = 1.17, 95%CI: 1.01 - 1.38), as well as short sleep duration (OR = 1.26, 95%CI: 1.12 - 1.43), impairment of sleep efficiency (OR = 1.27, 95%CI: 1.01 - 1.26), sleep disturbances (OR: 1.39, 95%CI: 1.02 - 1.95) and daytime dysfunction (OR: 1.27, 95%CI: 1.08 - 1.49). Work stress and job dissatisfaction mediated the relationship between long working hours and sleep disturbances. Continued overtime work should be recognized as a risk factor for the development of sleep disturbances among Chinese government employees. Work stress and work dissatisfaction mediated the relationship between long working hours and sleep disturbances. Effective interventions should be provided to employees who have experienced long working hours.
... 9 These inconsistent results may be related to several methodological shortcomings, including small sample sizes, cross-sectional study design, workers in one company, or particular industryspecific circumstances that limit generalizability of the findings. [10][11][12][13][14] Therefore, to better identify the mechanisms and mediators of the relationships between long working hours and various diseases, longitudinal research is needed using wider populations with different occupations. ...
... 29 A large portion of the literature has reported that long working hours are linked with lower quantity and quality of sleep. 11,12,[30][31][32] Hence, it is believed that insufficient recovery due to sleep deprivation is considered a critical component of the pathway from long working hours to health problems. 12,33 Another experimental study revealed that long working hours reduced sleep time and increased fatigue. ...
... 11,12,[30][31][32] Hence, it is believed that insufficient recovery due to sleep deprivation is considered a critical component of the pathway from long working hours to health problems. 12,33 Another experimental study revealed that long working hours reduced sleep time and increased fatigue. 11 Our study provides additional support with respect to evidence for long working hours as a significant predictor of sleep problems. ...
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Objectives This study aimed to investigate the relationship between working hours and lifestyle behaviors using data from a large nationally representative panel survey. Methods We used the Korea Health Panel Study (KHPS) data from 2011 to 2014. Weekly working hours and lifestyle risk factors were assessed by questionnaires. Comparing to the reference group, the weekly working hours were 40 h per week, odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for smoking status, alcohol consumption status, and regular exercise status of other weekly working hours groups (<40, 40, 41–52, and >52) were calculated, using generalized estimating equation models considering repeated measures. Results Our findings clearly showed a relationship between long working hours and unhealthy lifestyles, such as cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and insufficient sleep. Additionally, weekly working hours are positively associated with the amount of smoking and drinking, and inversely associated with sleep duration among those who worked 40 h or more per week. Conclusion Long working hours are associated with unhealthy lifestyles, such as cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and insufficient sleep.
... A normal duration for sleep is about 7 to 8 h per night, which can lower the risk of acute myocardial infarction, cerebrocardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure, as well as reducing working injuries and mistakes [44][45][46]. Furthermore, a significant detrimental effect on quality of sleep is brought about by long working hours [30,47]. Some studies have found that sleep deprivation is directly linked to cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure [27,48]. ...
... Based on the odds ratios of the five health measures for the condition of related health, short sleep duration had the highest odds ratio and is the problem to be most concerned about with regard to long working hours. Studies referred to in this meta-analysis were concerned with investigating the relationship between long working hours and short sleep duration [8,47,48,78]. The length of hours defined for short sleep was less than 6 h per day by Artazcoz et al. [8] and Ohtsu et al. [78], and less than 7 h per day by Virtanen et al. [48]. ...
... Virtanen et al. [48] found that the odds ratios for both males and females working more than 55 h per week were higher than those working 41 to 55 h per week. Nakashima et al. [47] found that the values for odds ratios between long working hours and short sleep duration were proportional to the relationship with the working hours. Artazcoz et al. [8] showed that the odds ratio between working 51 to 60 h per week and short sleep duration was higher than the odds ratio for working 41 to 50 h per week. ...
Article
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There has been no subsequent meta-analysis examining the effects of long working hours on health or occupational health since 1997. Therefore, this paper aims to conduct a meta-analysis covering studies after 1997 for a comparison. A total of 243 published records were extracted from electronic databases. The effects were measured by five conditions, namely, physiological health (PH), mental health (MH), health behaviours (HB), related health (RH), and nonspecified health (NH). The overall odds ratio between long working hours and occupational health was 1.245 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.195–1.298). The condition of related health constituted the highest odds ratio value (1.465, 95% CI: 1.332–1.611). The potential moderators were study method, cut-point for long weekly working hours, and country of origin. Long working hours were shown to adversely affect the occupational health of workers. The management on safeguarding the occupational health of workers working long hours should be reinforced.
... A meta-analysis by Litwiller [12] indicated that poor sleep, in both quality and quantity, related to poorer health outcomes in workers, and led to poorer work performance, higher risk of work-related accidents, and higher tendency to resign. Similar studies have been primarily conducted in specific occupational groups, such as teachers [13,14]; workers in a single organization, such as civil servants in a city [10]; male workers [15]; and workers in public safety sector [16]. In contrast, community-based studies which involve a large range of occupations are limited [17]. ...
... The questionnaire also collected information about other variables reported as risk factors of insomnia for inclusion in statistical models, namely age (continuous), gender, body mass index (BMI) (<18.5, 18.5-24.9, ²25.0) [35], comorbidity (no vs. yes), current drinking (no vs. yes), current smoking (no vs. yes), walking time/day (<60 vs. ²60 minutes/day) [36], educational attainment ('Vocational school/junior college or lower' vs. 'University or graduate school'), and cohabitants ('living with someone' vs. 'living alone') [15]. BMI was calculated as body weight divided by the square of body height (kg/m 2 ). ...
Article
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Background: Although longer working hours are associated with lower sleep quality, it is still necessary to work a certain number of hours to make a living. In this study, we investigated the relationship between working hours and sleep quality in a community setting. We then explored how to manage work style while maintaining the sleep quality of workers without markedly reducing working hours. Methods: 4388 day-time workers in various occupations living in Ota ward in Tokyo were included in the analysis. The relationship between working hours and sleep quality measured by the Athens Insomnia Scale was examined by ANOVA and linear regression models. Effect modification by work style (work end time, shift in working start and end time, current work from home status, change in work place) on the relationship between working hours and sleep quality was investigated by multivariate linear regression models. Results: Longer working hours were significantly associated with lower sleep quality. The magnitude of the relationship between long working hours and low sleep quality was significantly larger when work end time was later (p for trend of interaction < 0.01) and when working start and end time were shifted later (vs no change, p for interaction = 0.03). The relationship was marginally greater when the proportion of work from home was increased (vs no change, p for interaction = 0.07). Conclusions: A relationship between longer working hours and lower sleep quality was observed among workers. Leaving work earlier or optimizing the work environment at home may diminish the adverse effect of long working hours on sleep quality.
... This study found that nurses who worked >40 h a week scored higher in insomnia, which was similar to the results of some studies (Virtanen et al., 2009;Nakashima et al., 2011). However, studies have reported varying results regarding whether working overtime is an independent risk factor for insomnia. ...
... However, studies have reported varying results regarding whether working overtime is an independent risk factor for insomnia. Some studies (Basner et al., 2007;Virtanen et al., 2009;Nakashima et al., 2011) have shown that working >40 h per week is a risk factor for insomnia without considering mental health. However, some studies have implied that with good psychological health, average weekly working duration of >40 h was unrelated to insomnia, but poor mental health combined with an average weekly working duration of ≤40 h was found to be a risk factor for insomnia (Akerstedt et al., 2002a,b), which indicated a potentially strong interaction between working duration of >40 h per week and mental health status on insomnia. ...
Article
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Background Nurses have a high incidence of insomnia. Insomnia not only damages the physical and mental health of nurses, but also reduces their productivity and quality of care, ultimately affecting patient care. Over the past 30 years, a large number of epidemiological surveys have shown that insomnia in nurses is associated with occupational stress. As an external feature of the role of a nurse, occupational stress is difficult to alter in a short period of time. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss the complex mediating variables in the relationship between occupational stress and insomnia in nurses in order to find different ideas to address the problem of insomnia caused by occupational stress. Psychological capital, the positive psychological strength of an individual, has been widely used in previous reports as a mediating variable between occupational stress and adverse psychological problems. Objective This study aimed to explore the mediating effect of psychological capital on occupational stressors and insomnia among Chinese nurses. Methods The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology statement was referred to conduct the study. A cross-sectional stratified sampling method was used to recruit 720 participants from a tertiary hospital in Jinan, Shandong province, located in the east of China, from June to August 2019. Questionnaires were used to obtain data on demographic variables, psychological capital, occupational stressors, and insomnia. Results The study findings revealed that work settings [department (F = 3.08, p = 0.006), working hours per week (t = −2.03, p = 0.043) and shift work (t = 3.66, p < 0.001)], decision latitude (r = −0.25, p < 0.001), psychological job demand (r = 0.15, p < 0.001), social support (r = −0.31, p < 0.001), and psychological capital (r = −0.40, p < 0.001) were differentially associated with insomnia experiences. This cross-sectional survey showed that psychological capital has significant mediation effects on the relationship between occupational stressors and insomnia. In the model of decision latitude - psychological capital - insomnia, the mediating effect was-0.04 (95%CI: −0.07 ~ −0.02), accounting for 50.0% of the total effect; In the model of job demands – psychological capital – insomnia, the mediating effect was 0.03 (95%CI: 0.01 ~ 0.06), accounting for 25.0% of the total effect; In the model of social support - psychological capital - insomnia, the mediating effect was −0.11 (95%CI: −0.16 ~ −0.07), accounting for 39.0% of the total effect. Conclusion Psychological capital not only had a direct effect on both occupational stressors and insomnia, but also played mediating roles in relationship between occupational stressors and insomnia. It has been suggested that nurses themselves and nursing managers should improve the psychological capital of nurses by various means to alleviate the effects of occupational stress on nurses’ insomnia.
... The negative impact of working long hours on sleep has been well documented in the literature. Long weekly working hours has been associated with shortened sleep hours and di culty falling asleep (Virtanen et al., 2009;Nakashima et al., 2011;Kim & Lee, 2015). Long hour workers have less time for sleeping or they are too tired and then take longer to switch off before bedtime (Meijman et al., 1992;Sluiter, 1999). ...
... Many potentially confounding variables (individual, household, work and lifestyle characteristics) included in the regression modelling were found to be signi cantly associated with sleep quality, including working in shift work, having existing health conditions and number of weekly work hours. These associations were expected and in line with the existing research (Virtanen et al., 2009;Nakashima et al., 2011;Kim & Lee, 2015;Akerstedt et al., 2002;Deng et al., 2020;Lamond et al., 2000). Notably, working hours was associated with sleep quality only to a small degree, with an increase of 10 work hours resulting in sleep quality worsening by only 3.2%. ...
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Experiencing poor sleep quality affects an individual’s health and wellbeing. Sleep quality may be influenced by work conditions, with working under high intensity a possible contributor. Using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey waves 2013 and 2017, this study investigates whether experiencing poor sleep quality is associated with work intensity. This study uses a nationally representative sample of working Australian individuals aged 25–64 from the HILDA survey and finds a strong positive association between work intensity and sleep quality, with an individual’s sleep quality worsening as their work intensity increased. The association between work intensity and sleep quality is even stronger than that between long work hours and sleep quality.
... Interestingly [35,36]. Working long hours reduces the amount of time to sleep [37]. ...
... Furthermore, people need more time to recuperate from long working hours [38,39]. Employees with long working hours cannot afford to engage in healthy lifestyle habits [35]. In other words, people who work more than 52 h per week are at risk of insomnia, regardless of their work schedules. ...
Article
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Although a necessity in a modern society, irregular work schedule can lead to sleep problems. We investigated the effect of work schedule irregularity on sleep disturbance of 17,846 Korean service workers using the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for sleep disturbance occurrence were calculated through a multiple logistic regression model. The adjusted ORs for moderate and severe sleep disturbances for those with irregular work hours were 2.11 (95% CI 1.90–2.33) and 3.10 (95% CI 2.62–3.66), respectively. Work schedule irregularity and emotion suppression at work showed synergistic effect on both moderate and severe sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbances can lead to brain function deterioration and work-related injuries; therefore, appropriate measures should be addressed for the vulnerable population.
... In line with previous studies [13,25], our results revealed that excessive working hours were significantly associated with insomnia. There are several plausible mechanisms by which working hours can lead to insomnia. ...
... Second, workers with longer working hours need more time to recover from work-induced fatigue [50,51]. Third, workers with long working hours have less time to engage in healthy lifestyle habits such as physical exercise [13]. Schiller et al. [52] reported that a reduction in work hours led to beneficial effects on sleep quality and duration among workers with a fully compensated salary. ...
Article
Objectives The present study aimed to clarify the prevalence and risk factors of insomnia among public school teachers in Japan by examining the relationships between working hours, commuting time, and insomnia. Time spent on work activities among teachers with insomnia was also investigated. Methods This study was a secondary analysis of data obtained in a 2016 survey of working conditions among public elementary/junior high school teachers in Japan. A total of 11,390 teachers (women: 47.4%, average age: 42.2 ± 11.3 years) were selected for analysis. The relationships between working hours, commuting time, and insomnia were evaluated using a binomial logistic regression model. The primary outcome was insomnia, defined by a score of ≥6 on the Athens Insomnia Scale. Explanatory factors were working hours/week, commuting time/day, six subscales of occupational stress, age group, presence of children, type of job, type of the school, and the urbanicity of the school. Results In total, 41.7% of men and 44.0% of women were classified into the insomnia group. The insomnia group spent more time preparing for lectures, and a significant association was observed between insomnia and long working hours and commuting time. Results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that long working hours, long commuting time, and urbanicity of the school were statistically significantly associated with insomnia. Conclusions Insomnia is common among public school teachers in Japan. Our findings suggest the importance of reducing the time spent on working to prevent insomnia.
... According to the McNemar test, this change is significant. These findings align with studies by Afonso et al. [5], Kapo Wong et al. [3], and Nakashima et al. [31], which showed that working long hours hurts sleep quality due to reduced time for sleeping [3]. Conversely, the current study's findings contradict those of Hirsch-Allen et al. [32], who reported that long working hours lead to long-term sleep recovery. ...
... Furthermore, a correlation has been established between elevated stress levels and the onset of depression, paralleling the incidence of compromised sleep quality [53]. Nakashima et al. [54] complement this perspective by demonstrating the detrimental impact of extended work duration on sleep quality, thereby reinforcing the notion that workplace stress and anxiety detrimentally affect cognitive function, productivity, and well-being, linking these elements to mental health concerns like depression and inadequate sleep. ...
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In the software development sector, the prevalent issues of job-related anxiety and impaired sleep quality significantly affect practitioners’ well-being and efficiency. This investigation explores the intricate relationship between these factors, highlighting their critical impact on software professionals. A study with 99 participants revealed a positive correlation between job anxiety and poor sleep quality, with the majority experiencing sleep disruptions, including insomnia. The analysis pointed out that anticipatory anxiety and widespread worrying may be critical contributors to sleep issues, underscoring the complex interplay between workplace stress and sleep patterns. These findings emphasize the necessity for organizations to implement measures aimed at reducing job stress and enhancing sleep quality. By adopting strategies that alleviate anxiety and promote better quality sleep, there is potential to improve both the mental health and productivity of software professionals. This study illuminates the pressing need to address mental health concerns within the software industry, advocating for a holistic approach that considers the well-being of practitioners as paramount for sustained professional success and personal health.
... This self-rating instrument contains 19 questions which are combined to form seven component scores. They are [1] subjective sleep quality, [2] sleep latency, [3] sleep duration, [4] habitual sleep efficiency, [5] sleep disturbances, [6] use of sleeping medications, and [7] daytime dysfunction. These components of the PSQI are the standardised versions of areas routinely assessed in clinical interviews of patients with sleep complaints. ...
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Introduction: Poor sleep quality is frequently related to poor mental health and is a common medical disorder. It may differ by population, but limited studies have been done in Malaysia. This study was conducted to measure the prevalence of poor sleep quality among academic staff at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Kampar Campus. Methods: In total, 344 randomly selected academic staff were approached to answer the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. Results: Unexpectedly, 42.7 % of them were affected by poor sleep quality (global PSQI score >5). The average actual sleep duration was recorded at 6.68 hours. Age and global PSQI scores were not significantly correlated. Female staff had poorer subjective sleep quality (P= 0.027). The elder age group (P= 0.012) and associate professors and professors (P= 0.006) consumed more sleep medications. Non-Ph.D. holders had poorer subjective sleep quality (P= 0.008) and sleep latency (P= 0.032) as well as global PSQI score (P= 0.045) compared to Ph.D. holders. Conclusion: Prevalence of poor sleep quality was higher than expected among academic staff. This may affect workplace functioning and burden the staff with more health issues related to poor sleep quality.
... In addition to being a symptom, it may also be a contributing factor to the development of mood disorders including depression. Working hours also aff ect the quality and duration of sleep [23]. The increase in working hours was proportional to the stress levels, i.e. more work led to higher observed stress levels and depression tends to increase [24]. ...
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Background Symptoms of depressive disorder have been found to be particularly common among employees in the private administration, public, and industrial sectors. Aims This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression among the specified groups of workers and to identify the main stressors that lead to symptoms of this condition. Materials and methods A self-administrated questionnaire was completed by respondents comprised of three groups of workers in the Republic of North Macedonia – Skopje. The survey assessed the sociodemographic characteristics and mental health (Patient Health Questonnaire-9). Logistic regression models were used to estimate associations between depressive symptoms and demographics, working environment and lifestyle parameters. Results The analysis of the total PHQ-9 score divided into two groups (≤ 10 and ≥ 10) indicated that 89% of the respondents had minimal/mild depression and 11% had moderate/severe depression. We have found a significant association between the group to which the respondent belongs and the degree of depression. Severe depression was significantly associated with work in public institutions. Conclusion Screening for depression among workers is necessary because of its high prevalence and high rates of underdiagnosis in the workplace. Early diagnosis and appropriate interventions are recommended, including actions focused on the risk factors for depression at the workplace.
... A doseresponse relationship has been found between sleep characteristics, specifically sleep duration and the number of work hours. 36 Employment status also affects sleep duration, with unemployed individuals having shorter or longer sleep durations than employed individuals. 37 Working hours and employment rates vary across the world and change over time, which might affect sleep duration trends. ...
Article
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Background and purpose: Excess or insufficient sleep, irregular sleep-wake patterns, and an extreme early or late chronotypes adversely impact physical and mental health. Changes in sleep characteristics should therefore be tracked, and factors that contribute to poor sleep should be identified. We investigated the changes in sleep patterns among South Korean adults during 2009-2018. Methods: Using data of a representative sample of South Korean adults from the 2009 (n=2,658, 48.5% males; age=44.5±15.0 years old [mean±standard deviation], age range=19-86 years) and 2018 (n=2,389, 49.1% males; age=47.9±16.3 years, age range=19-92 years) Korean Headache-Sleep Study, we explored changes in sleep timing, sleep duration, chronotype, and social jetlag (SJL). Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between average sleep duration and depression. Results: From 2009 to 2018, bedtimes were advanced by 10 and 25 min on workdays and free days, respectively. Meanwhile, wake-up times were advanced by 13 min and delayed by 12 min on workdays and free days, respectively. The average sleep duration significantly decreased from 7.45 h to 7.13 h. The prevalence of short sleep duration (<7 h) increased, whereas that of long sleep duration (≥8 h) decreased. A circadian preference toward eveningness and SJL increased. The prevalence of depression increased from 4.6% to 8.4%, and there were significant reverse J-shaped and U-shaped associations between average sleep duration and depression in 2009 and 2018, respectively. Conclusions: Changes in sleep patterns and the association between sleep duration and depressive mood were determined from a representative sample of the South Korean adult population. Interventions to modify sleep behaviors might improve public health.
... Semakin lama jam kerja, maka semakin tinggi pula peluang untuk mengalami stroke dan penyakit jantung (Kivimäki et al., 2015). Dari segi psikis dapat mengakibatkan depresi dan gejala kecemasan (Afonso et al., 2017) serta penurunan kualitas tidur (Nakashima et al., 2011). ...
Article
Kondisi ekonomi lansia di Indonesia masih cukup mengkhawatirkan sehingga memaksa lansia untuk tetap bekerja. Terutama di Provinsi Gorontalo masih banyak ditemukan lansia yang bekerja dengan jumlah jam kerja berlebihan (>40 jam dalam seminggu). Tingginya jam kerja tersebut tidak dapat diabaikan begitu saja karena dapat membahayakan kesehatan lansia. Oleh karena itu, dilakukan analisis penelitian mengenai variabel yang diduga berpengaruh terhadap jam kerja lansia. Sumber data yang digunakan adalah data mikro Susenas Kor Maret 2020. Analisis deskriptif dan inferensia dengan regresi logistik biner digunakan untuk mencapai tujuan penelitian ini. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kecenderungan tenaga kerja lansia yang lebih besar untuk bekerja berlebihan terdapat pada lansia laki-laki, termasuk golongan lansia muda (60-69 tahun), berstatus kawin, berukuran rumah tangga lebih dari 7 anggota rumah tangga, tidak memiliki jaminan pensiun, dan status pekerjaannya bekerja berusaha dibantu buruh tetap/buruh dibayar
... 19 In particular, among the problems caused by stress, sleep problems (de ned as a lack of adequate sleep) are easy to recognize and are a factor that can signi cantly affect an individual's health and work performance. 20,21 We, therefore, considered it important to evaluate cognitive, behavioral, and sleep changes as indicators of physical and mental health. In addition, we conceptualized the central nervous system in a dysfunctional state and called this Fatigue of Brain. ...
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Background To help workers balance work and personal life while experiencing illness, we developed a self-monitoring assessment tool for workers. We conceptualized " Fatigue of Brain" as a state of dysfunction of the central nervous system, such as decreased brain function and mental health problems, and attempted to measure it in a comprehensive, simple, and quantitative manner. We also developed cutoff points and provided indicators of conditions that would require a recommendation for medical examination. Methods We developed the items of the Fatigue of Brain Scale to measure the “Fatigue of Brain” state, and conducted factor analysis, comorbid validity, and retest reliability verification. The first survey (Survey 1) was conducted between February-March 2019, and the second survey (Survey 2) was conducted one month later. Men and women aged 18–64 years, who had experienced a leave of absence due to physical or mental health problems within the past 10 years were included in the survey. A total of 460 participants (211 men and 249 women, mean age 45.64 ± 9.62 years) were recruited for Survey 1, and 334 participants (161 men and 173 women, mean age 46.72 ± 10.11 years) for Survey 2. Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis was then used to examine the optimal cut-off value for this scale. Results A clear factor structure was obtained for 20 items consisting of four factors: "decline in role execution function," "social/daily function decline," "lack of sleep," and "maladaptive cognitive and behavioral responses," and sufficient reliability and validity were confirmed. In addition, cut-off values for “mild Fatigue of Brain,” “moderate Fatigue of Brain,” “severe Fatigue of Brain,” and “extreme Fatigue of Brain” were established. Conclusions If workers are aware of their current performance status and are able to self-manage their performance better, this would play an important part in trying to maintain good health, improve individual productivity, and contribute to company profits. The usefulness of this scale needs to be further verified by using it in actual workplaces in the future.
... Insufficient recovery from sleep deprivation due to long working hours is considered an essential component of the pathway leading to health problems. [6] In addition, the experience of a lack of reciprocity in terms of high "costs" and low "gains" elicits negative emotions in exposed people. In a person, the feelings of not being adequately appreciated or being treated unfairly and disappointments can result in inappropriate rewards, which can cause sustained strain reactions in the autonomic nervous system. ...
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Background: Work in informational technology (IT) professionals is highly competitive and stressful, leading to job stress. This can lead to burnout, effort-reward imbalance (ERI), and poor sleep quality. Materials and methods: The present study examined associations of ERI, burnout, and poor sleep quality among IT professionals using data from 200 software engineers (mean age of 29.3 ± 4 years, 32% women). ERI and overcommitment were assessed using Siegrist's "effort-reward" questionnaire. The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) was used to assess burnout and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess sleep quality. Results: ERI, burnout and poor sleep quality were present in 72%, 60%, and 70%, respectively. Females had higher ERI, burnout, and poor sleep quality compared to males. ERI is significantly associated with burnout (r = 0.45, P < 0.01) and poor sleep quality (r = 0.31, P < 0.01). Linear regression to assess the ability of ERI to predict levels of burnout yielded a statistically significant (R 2 = 0.206, P < 0.01) indicating ERI to be a unique incremental predictor of burnout (b = 0.454, t = 7.16, P < 0.01). ERI tends to be a predictive factor of poor sleep quality with Odd's ratio = 3.5, 95%CI (1.81-6.73), P < 0.01. Conclusion: In summary, Intervention programs both at the individual and at the organization level have to be designed to combat ERI, burnout, and poor sleep quality among IT professionals.
... In previous studies, long working hours were closely linked to daily sleep restrictions. [24][25][26][27] Acute sleep deprivation, such as a night on call for medical residents, could affect disruption of autonomic responses and changes in immune levels. 28 Night-shift work increases the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol and also increases blood pressure. ...
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Objectives: We aimed to find evidence of the inflammation-mediated mechanism by which long working hours contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods: This cohort study was performed in 56 953 Korean adults free of CVD who underwent a comprehensive screening examination and were followed for up to 7 years. An increase in blood high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) of 1 mg/L or more at the follow-up visit was defined as an incidence. The average weekly working hours in the past year were categorized as ≤40, 41-52, 53-60, and ≥60 h per week. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using generalized estimating equations to calculate the risk of an incidental increase of hsCRP. Results: Participants with longer working hours had a higher incidence of hsCRP. Multivariable-adjusted ORs (95% CIs) of incident cases for ≥61 h compared with ≤40 h was 1.69 (1.04-2.75). In subgroup analyses according to sex and the presence of hypertension and diabetes, the risk of hsCRP incidence were highest in the group working more than 61 h in all subgroups, but none of them were statistically significant. Conclusions: Working hours are independently associated with increased risk of elevated hsCRP in a dose-response relationship. Excessive long-time work is a risk factor for CVD, and it was found that an increase in hsCRP was associated with the pathogenesis.
... Moreover, in our supplementary analysis, we found that total working hours per week was a statistically significant predictor for sleep problems in both European countries and in Korea, which was consistent with the results of previous studies [45,46]. We note that the results in European countries were consistent with previous findings demonstrating that long work shifts (> 12 h), long work hours per week, and a quick return to work were associated with increased sleepiness (which can lead to adverse outcomes for healthcare workers and for patients) [25,47,48]. In addition, long working hours have been shown to contribute to inadequate recovery between shifts, which can both lead to and exacerbate sleep disturbance [49]. ...
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Background Healthcare professionals worldwide are prone to sleep disturbance. Such sleep disturbance is associated with lower patient safety and quality of care. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the prevalence of sleep disturbance and determine the effect of work schedule characteristics on sleep disturbance among healthcare professionals in Europe and South Korea. Methods We used the sixth European Working Conditions Survey and the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey for analyses. The study included 2285 healthcare professionals aged 18–65 years. Work schedule characteristics included shift work, night work, working hours per week, long work hours (i.e., more than 10 hours per shift), quick return to work, having to come to work on short notice, and changes in work schedules. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed. Results The overall prevalence of sleep disturbance was 37.7%. The multivariate logistic regression model indicated that long work hours, quick return to, having to come to work on short notice, and changes in work schedules were significant factors associated with sleep disturbance among healthcare professionals. Conclusion The findings revealed that several work schedule-related factors were associated with sleep disturbances in healthcare professionals in Europe and Korea. Institutions and policymakers should implement strategies and policies to reduce the unpredictability of work schedules to ensure an adequate rest period between shifts and to reduce sleep disturbances.
... White-collar workers are described as being associated primarily with higher education and specific skills, or with low-skilled jobs that are primarily social rather than physical (13). Studies have found that long working hours affected sleep quality among male workers and female non-manual workers (14,15). With the rapid development of the social economy, the form of work gradually changed to mental labor. ...
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Background Studies have shown that cytokine activity changes during the sleep-wake process, suggesting that inflammatory factors may be involved in a mechanism affecting sleep quality. Furthermore, the serotonergic system is also one of the essential components of airway relaxation during sleep, especially the serotonin 2A receptor (5-HTR2A) type that plays an important role in the sleep-wake process. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the effects of cytokines and 5-HTR2A polymorphisms on sleep quality in non-manual workers in Urumqi, Xinjiang in order to explore the relationship between the three. Methods This study used a cluster sampling method to randomly select non-manual workers who worked in Urumqi, Xinjiang for at least 1 year. From July 2016 and December 2017, this study recruited 1,500 non-manual workers for physical examination in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 1,329 non-manual workers were finally included in the questionnaire study. It used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire to assess sleep quality. Moreover, another 15% of respondents were randomly selected as the experimental study group. The polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to detect 5-HTR2A gene genotypes. Simultaneously, the cytokine (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α) content was evaluated using an enzyme-linked immunoassay. Results The results showed that among the 1,329 respondents, 870 had sleep quality problems, and the detection rate was 65.46%. The distribution of −1438G/A genotypes in the 5-HTR2A gene was significantly different among different sleep quality groups (p < 0.05), with no statistical significance present when comparing to T102C (p > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the AG [odds ratio (OR) = 2.771, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.054–7.287] and GG (OR = 4.037, 95% CI: 1.244–13.105) genotypes at −1438G/A loci were both associated with poor sleep quality and were thus considered the susceptibility genotypes for sleep problems. Furthermore, IL-1β was shown to be a protective factor for sleep quality (OR = 0.949, 95% CI: 0.925–0.974). The interaction results showed that AG × IL-1β (OR = 0.952, 95% CI: 0.918–0.987) was associated with a lower risk of sleep problems than AA × IL-1β. Conclusion Cytokines and 5-HTR2A polymorphisms not only have independent effects on sleep but also may have cumulative effects. Therefore, it is necessary to further explore the related mechanisms affecting sleep quality to improve the sleep quality of non-manual workers.
... 11 Long working hours increase the risk of various adverse health outcomes. Several studies have shown that long working hours increase the risk for developing negative health outcomes such as obesity, 12 hypertension, 13 stroke and coronary heart disease, 14 non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, 15 sleep, 16 occupational injuries 17 and so on. Similar to many other health outcomes, long working hours can play a crucial role in glycemic control and the development and progression of diabetes in Koreans, especially in high-risk groups, such as those with prediabetes. ...
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Background: Long working hours are known to account for approximately one-third of the total expected work-related diseases, and much interest and research on long working hours have recently been conducted. Additionally, as the prevalence of prediabetes and the high-risk group for diabetes are increasing worldwide, interest in prediabetes is also rising. However, few studies have addressed the development of type 2 diabetes and long working hours in prediabetes. Therefore, the aim of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the relationship between long working hours and the development of diabetes in prediabetes. Methods: We included 14,258 prediabetes participants with hemoglobinA1c (HbA1c) level of 5.7 to 6.4 in the Kangbuk Samsung Cohort Study. According to a self-reported questionnaire, we evaluated weekly working hours, which were categorized into 35-40, 41-52, and > 52 hours. Development of diabetes was defined as an HbA1c level ≥ 6.5%. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the development of diabetes were estimated using Cox proportional hazards analyses with weekly working 35-40 hours as the reference. Results: During a median follow-up of 3.0 years, 776 participants developed diabetes (incidence density, 1.66 per 100 person-years). Multivariable-adjusted HRs of development of diabetes for weekly working > 52 hours compared with working 35-40 hours were 2.00 (95% CI: 1.50-2.67). In subgroup analyses by age (< 40 years old, ≥ 40 years old), sex (men, women), and household income (< 6 million KRW, ≥ 6 million KRW), consistent and significant positive associations were observed in all groups. Conclusions: In our large-scale longitudinal study, long working hours increases the risk of developing diabetes in prediabetes patients.
... Long working hours(>55hours/week) and shift work have been associated with increased risk of chronic conditions like stroke or breast cancer [41,42], and working long hours is a risk factor for shortened sleeping hours and difficulty falling asleep [43]. A Japanese study conducted among white-collar factory workers found that long working hours lead to sleep problems in a dose-response manner and impeded adequate recovery from fatigue, resulting in cumulative fatigue [44]. A previous study [45] found that men working long hours showed a worse cardiometabolic and inflammatory profile and increased anthropometric markers compared to those who did not work long hours; this was not confirmed in women, where these relations were absent or weak. ...
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Recent evidence indicates consistent association of low socioeconomic status with epigenetic age acceleration, measured from DNA methylation. As work characteristics and job stressors are crucial components of socioeconomic status, we investigated their association with various measures of epigenetic age acceleration. The study population included employed and unemployed men and women (n=604) from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. We investigated the association of job strain, effort-reward imbalance and work characteristics with five biomarkers of epigenetic aging (Hannum, Horvath, PhenoAge, GrimAge, and DunedinPoAm). Our results indicate few significant associations between work stress indicators and epigenetic age acceleration, limited to a range of ±2 years, and smoking recording the highest effect on GrimAge age acceleration biomarker between current and no smokers (median difference 4.73 years (IQR 1.18, 8.41). PhenoAgeAA was associated with job strain active work (β=-1.301 95%CI -2.391, -0.212), slowing aging of less than 1.5 years, and working as white-collar slowed aging six months (GrimAgeAA β=-0.683, 95%CI -1.264, -0.102) when compared to blue collars. Association was found for working for more than 40 hours per week that increased the aging over 1.5 years, (HorvathAA β =2.058 95%CI 0.517,3.599, HannumAA β=1.567, 95%CI 0.415,2.719). The pattern of associations was different between women and men and some of the estimated effects are inconsistent with current literature. Our results provide the first evidence of association of work conditions with epigenetic aging biomarkers. However, further epidemiological research is needed to fully understand how work-related stress affects epigenetic age acceleration in men and women in different societies.
... From the view for medicine, the long working hours aggravates risk factors of atherosclerosis to cause circulatory system diseases, probably through its harmful effects to worsen workers' lifestyle, to cause lack of sleep [97]. The previous study also observed short sleep duration and overtime degree were in dose-response [98]. A survey of 2,617 registered nurses demonstrated extended work schedules were associated with musculoskeletal injury/disorders [99]. ...
Thesis
Introduction Burnout was first described in 1974 by the clinical psychologist Herbert Freudenberger. Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that results from long-term involvement in work situations that are emotionally demanding. Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) were most used instruments to assess burnout. Burnout cause total losses of US$4.6 billion in the United States each year and affects approximately half of all nurses, physicians, and other clinicians. In addition, burnout also affects patient-related quality of care. The previous studies demonstrated burnout is related to work-related injuries (WRIs) and increase in the risk of injury. The present study would establish the relationship models of burnout to identify risk factors of burnout and explore the relationship between burnout and WRIs/sharps injuries (SIs) for medical worker. Methods and materials This is an observational and cross-sectional study which was based on members at a hospital affiliated with a medical university in Taichung, Taiwan, in 2021. 1633 individuals completed the questionnaires including Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and the Copenhagen burnout inventory (CBI). CBI included three burnout scales that are personal burnout (PB), work-related burnout (WB) and client burnout (CB), respectively. Among them, 1250 questionnaires were determined to be valid after exclusion for missing data. Statistical methods included t test, chi-square test or fisher exact test, factor analysis, linear regression, and Sobel test. Analysis was conducted using SAS Enterprise Guide 6.1 software, and significance was set at P < 0.05. Results The present study demonstrated participants with master’s degree or above or married or parenthood significantly reported low level for WB and CB than others and those with regular exercise every week (REW) reported low level for PB, WB and CB than others. Participants with chronic diseases (CD) or ever alcohol use (AU) or sleep duration per day less than 6 h (SSLD) or work overtime (OT) or shift work including irregular shift (IRS) and regular shift (RS) work or physicians/nurses reported high level for PB, WB and CB than others. Work experience (WE) and engaging in leisure activities with family or friends (LAFF) in vacation were negatively related to PB, WB and CB. Neck and both shoulders pain (NBSP) was positively related to PB, WB and CB. Both ankles pain (BAP) and both knees pain (BKP) was positively related to PB and WB. Sex difference of burnout was associated with sex--dominated occupations. Under low proportion of women than men in physician field, women physicians significantly reported high WB than man physicians. PB/WB/CB was closely relevant to WRIs/SIs and was mediation factors between WRIs/SIs and SSLD, or work OT, or IRS work, or Nurse, or NBSP. PB/WB mediated the relationship between WRIs/SIs and CD or BKP, too. However, PB/WB only mediated the relationship between WRIs and BAP. Conclusion The present study has determined the reasons of burnout development by three burnout scales and statistical methods. In addition, we also determined seldom engaging in leisure activity with family and friends, lack of sleep, AU, OT and shift, CD, and MS pain will increase burnout degree, which will further raise incidence of WRIs/SIs. Therefore, the prevention plans of WRIs should include the high-risk identification mechanism of burnout and early find the high-risk employee of work injuries to further relieve burnout symptoms and effectively avoid occurrence for injuries.
... First, home rest time is shortened; workers do not fully recover from work-induced stress and fatigue 51 . Second, long working hours reduce sleep quality and volume; sleep problems are associated with depression and anxiety 52,53 . Furthermore, if a worker cannot control the workload (and thus may work overtime), an imbalance between effort and reward may develop. ...
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Long working hours have been presumed to negatively influence health. However, evidence is lacking regarding any associations of working hours with depressive mood or suicidal ideation. We investigated the relationships of working hours with depressive mood and suicidal ideation in a representative sample of the Korean general population. We analyzed data collected by the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys VI and VII (2013–2018). Depressive mood and suicidal ideation were identified through self-reporting. We divided participants into four groups according to weekly working hours: 30–40, 41–50, 51–60, and > 60 h/week. Sampling weights were applied to obtain estimates for the general Korean population. We analyzed 14,625 participants, of whom 5383 (36.8%), 4656 (31.8%), 2553 (17.5%), and 2033 (13.9%) worked 30–40, 41–50, 51–60, and > 60 h/week, respectively. In these groups, 3.6%, 4.4%, 5.2%, and 6.3% of the participants reported depressive mood, while 1.8%, 1.9%, 2.2%, and 3.6% reported suicidal ideation. In multiple regression analyses, compared with the 30–40 h/week group, the adjusted odds ratios of the 41–50, 51–60, and > 60 h/week groups for depressive mood were 1.35 (1.08–1.69), 1.5 (1.14–1.97), and 1.6 (1.19–2.14). A similar trend was evident for suicidal ideation (odds ratios 1.16 [0.82–1.63], 1.48 [0.99–2.21], and 2.29 [1.53–3.42]). Long working hours are significantly associated with depressive mood and suicidal ideation.
... Insufficient sleep occurs when one's sleep need is not met, consequently impacting daytime alertness, performance, and health. Resultant daytime tiredness or fatigue may impair work performance by decreasing high-order cognitive processes required for decision-making pertinent to leadership roles (Budnick and Barber 2015;Lim and Dinges 2010;Miller et al. 2014;Wild et al. 2018). ...
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Purpose This cross-sectional study aimed to compare the association between self-reported sleep duration and cardiometabolic risk among men and women corporate executives and investigate potential lifestyle, work- and stress-related mediators thereof. Methods Self-reported sleep duration and lifestyle, occupational, psychological and measured anthropometrical, blood pressure (BP) and blood marker variables were obtained from health risk assessment data of 3583 corporate executives. Sex-stratified regression analyses investigated the relationships between occupational and psychological variables with self-reported sleep duration, and sleep duration with individual cardiometabolic risk factors. Mediation analyses investigated the effects of work, psychological and lifestyle factors on the relationships between self-reported sleep duration and cardiometabolic risk factors, as well as a continuous cardiometabolic risk score calculated from the sum of sex-stratified z-standardized scores of negative fasting serum HDL, and positive plasma Glu, serum TG, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic and diastolic BP. Results Longer work hours and work commute time, depression, anxiety and stress were associated with shorter sleep duration in both men and women (all p < 0.05). Shorter sleep duration was associated with higher BMI, larger waist circumference and greater cardiometabolic risk scores in both men and women (all p < 0.05), higher diastolic BP in men (p < 0.05) and lower HDL cholesterol in women (p < 0.05). Physical activity, working hours and stress significantly mediated the relationships between self-reported sleep duration and BMI, waist circumference, diastolic BP and cardiometabolic risk score in men only. Conclusion In these corporate executives, shorter self-reported sleep duration is associated with poorer psychological, occupational and cardiometabolic risk outcomes in both men and women. Given that physical activity, working hours and stress mediate this association among the men, the case for sleep health interventions in workplace health programmes is warranted.
... Various studies investigated the relationship between working hours and insufficient sleep [32,33] and found that longer working hours were related to shorter sleep duration and reduced quality of sleep. In a study on middle-aged Australian adults, Magee, Caputi, and Iverson [34] reported that insufficient sleep partially mediated the relationship between working hours and BMI in male participants [34]. ...
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The purpose of this study was to clarify the odds ratio for association between working hours and obesity in Korean male wage workers and investigate the role of sleep duration. This study is a cross-sectional one using large-scale national data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected between 2010 and 2015 to evaluate 2,592 male wage workers (between the ages of 19 and 60 years). Obesity was defined as 25kg/m² or more and working hours per week were categorized into <40, 40–49, 50–59, and ≥60 hours. Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the odds ratio for association between working hours and obesity, after controlling for age, education, income, marital status, smoking, drinking, physical activity, daily energy intake, sleep duration, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, work schedule, and job category. Next, to study the mediating effect of sleep duration on the association between working hours and obesity, an analysis was performed using the Baron and Kenny method and the Sobel test. Results showed that workers with 50 to 59 hours had 1.4 times higher odds (odds ratio [OR] = 1.4, confidence interval [CI]: 1.11–1.85) of obesity and workers with 60 hours or more had 1.4 times higher odds (OR = 1.4, CI: 1.06–1.90) of obesity than workers with less than 40 hours. Sleep was found to have a mediating effect on the association between working time and body mass index. Therefore, the results of this analysis suggest that practitioners should identify potential factors such as working time and sleeping time when preventing work-related obesity.
... Several mechanisms might underlie the association between long working hours and mental health outcomes. First, previous studies have reported an inverse association between working hours and sleep duration [34][35][36] ; cumulative fatigue associated with insufficient sleep can be a risk factor for mental health outcomes. Second, it is also possible that circadian misalignment due to an irregular sleeping pattern between weekdays and weekends might increase the risk of mental health outcomes 37 . ...
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Background: Although previous research has focused on the association between long working hours and several mental health outcomes, little is known about the association in relation to mental health-related sickness absence, which is a measure of productive loss. We aimed to investigate the association between overtime work and the incidence of long-term sickness absence due to mental disorders. Methods: Data came from the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health Study (J-ECOH). A total of 47,422 subjects were followed-up in the period between April 2012 and March 2017. Information on long-term sickness absence (LTSA) was obtained via a study-specific registry. Baseline information was obtained at an annual health checkup in 2011; overtime working hours were categorized into <45; 45-79; 80-99; and ≥100 hours/month. Results: During a total follow-up period of 211,443 person-years, 536 people took LTSA due to mental disorders. A Cox proportional hazards model was revealed that compared to those with less than 45 hours/month of overtime work, those with 45-79 hours/month were at a lower risk of LTSA due to mental health problems (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.55-0.72) while those with overtime work of ≥100 hours/month had a 2.11 times (95%CI = 1.10-4.07) higher risk of LTSA due to mental health problems. Conclusion: Engaging in excessive overtime work was linked with a higher risk of LTSA due to mental health problems while the lower risk observed among individuals working 45-79 hours/month of overtime work might have been due to a healthy worker effect.
... Insufficient recovery because of sleep deprivation is considered an important component of the pathway leading from long work hours to health problems. Previous studies revealed that working overtime is related to short or disturbed sleep [8]. ...
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Background: Sleep quality is influenced adversely or favorably by various intrinsic and extrinsic factors and sleep deprivation is a common problem facing doctors. Objectives: To assess sleep quality among physicians during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and correlate it with possible predictors. Methods: This cross-sectional four-months study included a total of 344 physicians from different medical centers in the period between July 2020 and October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physicians were aged between 24 and 60 years from different specialties. Data were collected using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS). Results: Among our participant physicians there was poor sleep quality in 71.2%, while good sleep quality was present in 28.8%. There were significant correlations between poor sleep quality and the following parameters in the univariate logistic regression analysis: anxiety features (P value <0.001), depressive features (P value <0.001), and past history of COVID-19 (P value 0.003). However, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that only the presence of anxiety features (P value <0.001) and depressive features (P value <0.001) could be used as significant independent predictor of poor sleep quality among physicians during COVID-19. Conclusion: Presence of anxiety and or depressive features among physicians are the most significant independent predictors of poor sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic.
... Sleep disorders are common in the general population, and between 15% and 20% of adults suffered chronic sleep problems [5] . Previous studies have shown that sleep dysfunction is not only bound up with hypertension, obesity, depression and cardiovascular diseases, but also impacts daily routines [6,7] . ...
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Objective: The main purpose of this paper is to investigate sleep quality in the withdrawal of medical members dispatched to control the Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19) outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. Methods: Forty-seven medical members (including twenty medical members treating mild COVID-19, seventeen medical members treating severe COVID-19 and ten logistics team members) completed questionnaire using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to evaluate the sleep quality of the medical members. Results: A total of forty-seven medical members participated in the sleep quality survey. The PSQI total scores are 5.6±4.3, 11.0±5.0 and 3.4±2.0 in treating mild COVID-19, treating severe COVID-19 and logistics team members, respectively. Medical members treating patients with severe COVID-19 had significantly higher PSQI total scores than those who facing up to the patients with mild COVID-19 and logistics team members. (P<0.005). The components of PSQI such as sleep duration and sleep medications were significantly higher in medical members treating patients with severe COVID-19 than those who facing up to the patients with mild COVID-19 and logistics team members (P<0.005). The components of PSQI such as sleep quality and daytime dysfunction were worse in medical members treating patients with severe COVID-19 than logistics team members (P<0.005). Conclusions: Findings indicate that medical members treating patients with severe COVID-19 had worse sleep quality than who facing up to the patients with mild COVID-19 and logistics team members.
... The incidence of sleep problems is increasing year by year, and sleep disorders have become a common clinical disease [1]. Sleep problems are a risk factor for a variety of mental health and chronic diseases [2]. ...
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Nursing is a high-risk occupation with high exposure to stress. The physical and mental health of nurses is directly related to the quality of medical services. Therefore, the sleep quality of nurses should not be ignored. In this study, the method of cluster random sampling was adopted from May to September 2019, and a questionnaire survey was conducted among 521 surgical nurses from five affiliated hospitals of Xinjiang Medical University. The relationship between mental health and sleep quality was analyzed, and 20% of the participants with sleep disorders were randomly selected. The sleep disorders used 1 : 1 matching, finally providing a sample with 60 cases and 60 controls for measurement of the CLOCK gene (rs1801260, rs6850524), to analyze the effect of the interaction between mental health and the CLOCK gene on sleep. The mental health and sleep quality of the surgical nurses were evaluated using the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The study found that surgical nurses had poor sleep, and there were differences associated with age, years working, frequency of night shifts, and incidence of sleep disorders under marital status (p
... Studies comparing specific aspects of paid work (e.g., stress or long working hours) typically use non-stressful work or ordinary working hours as the reference group, rather than no paid work at all (Afonso et al., 2017;Åkerstedt, 2006;Kecklund & Axelsson, 2016;Nakashima et al., 2011;Petersen, Kecklund, D'onofrio, Nilsson, & Åkerstedt, 2013;Virtanen et al., 2009). ...
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Several strands of research indicate that work competes for time with sleep, but to what extent the timing and duration of sleep is affected by work is not known. Retirement offers a quasi-experimental life transition to study this in a within-indi-vidual study design. The few existing studies report that people sleep longer and later after retirement but mainly rely on self-reported data or between-individual analyses. soon retire and measured them in a baseline week with accelerometers, diaries and questionnaires. After 1 and 2 years, the measurements were repeated for the now retired participants. Changes in sleep duration, timing, efficiency, chronotype and so-and partner's working status were analysed as potential effect modifiers. Sleep dura-tion increased by 21 min, whereas sleep efficiency remained similar. Time of sleep       -ing midsleep forward from 03:17 to 03:37 hours. Changes in duration and timing of sleep were driven by weekday sleep, whereas weekend sleep stayed about the same. Social jetlag decreased but still occurred after retirement. Changes at retirement in sleep duration and timing were smaller for participants with a later chronotype and who had full-time working partners. These findings indicate that paid work generates sleep loss and hinders people from sleeping in line with their biological time
... Preliminary research has provided some evidence of the relationship between sleep problems and suicidal ideation; however, there remain some key research questions to address. Sleep problems are a multidimensional construct involving a broad set of symptoms such as poor sleep quality, daytime dysfunction, difficulty falling sleep, short sleep duration, and impaired sleep efficiency (Cho et al., 2015;Nakashima et al., 2011). To date, few studies have attempted to determine whether there are differences in the associations between various subtypes of sleep problems and suicidal ideation, and thus, we failed to know if specific subtype of sleep problems is a greater risk factor of suicidal ideation than the others. ...
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Background Nurses have high rates of sleep problems, and higher risk of suicide than the general population. However, there is no empirical evidence showing the extent to which sleep problems among nurses are related to suicidal ideation. Methods Multistage stratified cluster sampling was performed to recruit nurses from tertiary hospitals in Shandong, China. Item 9 of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to assess suicidal ideation. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess different subtypes of sleep problems. Results Overall prevalence of suicidal ideation among the sample was 10.8%. Nurses with sleep problems were at high risk for suicidal ideation (bOR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.20-2.65). Among different sleep problem subtypes, only “cannot breathe comfortably” was independently related to suicidal ideation. Different subtypes of sleep problems had cumulative effects on suicidal ideation: the more subtypes of sleep problems nurses experienced, the higher the likelihood of suicidal ideation. Limitations The cross-sectional study design prevents inferring causation, and the use of self-report measures may lead to recall bias. Other physical/mental conditions, besides depression, were not assessed. Statistical power may have been insufficient due to the small sub-sample who reported suicidal ideation. Also, the generalizability of the results is limited, as the sample only comprised nurses in tertiary hospitals. Conclusions Nurses experiencing sleep problems were associated with increased likelihood of suicidal ideation. It may be beneficial to incorporate sleep problems into routine screening and intervention for suicide prevention in clinical practice.
... First, the study fills a gap in the sleep literature regarding the relationship between activity engagement and sleep quality. Indeed, previous research has focused on how the quantity of time and effort placed onto activities such as work and school are associated with an individual's quality of sleep [85][86][87][88]. Generally, such research has found that activities that consume a great deal of people's time and energy are associated with impaired sleep quality. ...
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Study Objectives The present research examines the relationship between people’s frequent involvement in an activity they like and find important (i.e., a passion) and the quality of their sleep. Research on the dualistic model of passion1-2 has widely documented the relationship between individual's type of passion—harmonious vs. obsessive—and the quality of their mental and physical health3-5. However, research has yet to examine the relationship between passion and sleep quality. Building on prior research that has shown that obsessive (vs. harmonious) passion is related to depressive mood symptoms6-7-an important factor associated with sleep problems- we hypothesized that obsessive passion would be associated with overall worse sleep quality, whereas harmonious passion would predict better sleep quality. Methods A sample of 1,506 Americans filled out an online questionnaire on sleep habits and passion. Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Hierarchical linear regressions and mediation analyses were carried out with results confirming our hypotheses. Results Obsessive passion for an activity was linked to worse, whereas harmonious passion was linked to better sleep quality, adjusting for demographics, the type of passionate activity and its subjective importance, alcohol and tobacco consumption, BMI, subjective health, and diagnosed health conditions. The relationship between both types of passion and sleep quality was mediated by depressive mood symptoms. Conclusions Our study presents evidence of a strong relationship between sleep quality and passion, opening the door for future research to create new interventions to improve people’s sleep and, consequently, their well-being.
... [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] One of the possible pathways between long working hours and adverse health outcomes could be short sleeping hours. [10][11][12][13] The effects of long working hours on psychological distress might be mediated by short sleeping hours as the Korean study, however, there was no consistent association between working hours and psychological distress as the Japanese systemic review. 14,15 One study showed no change in psychological distress in relation to overtime work periods, the other suggested that high job control impacted on the reduction of psychological distress in relation to overtime work hours in Japanese employees. ...
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Objective: The study aims to examine the association between overtime-working environment (OWE) and individual psychological distress among Japanese workers. Methods: Data of 7,786 workers from 101 companies in Japan were analysed. Psychological distress was assessed through a 29-item questionnaire. The OWE was evaluated by calculating the proportion of workers whose monthly overtime was 45 hours or more in a workplace. Multilevel logistic regression was used. Results: As 10% increase in the OWE was associated with a 16% higher risk of individual psychological distress after adjustment of individual covariates, including overtime working hours. Cross-level interaction showed that the risk was varied depending on individual overtime working hours. Conclusions: OWE was associated with the psychological distress of workers. It is necessary to create a non-OWE at workplaces to prevent psychological distress for workers.
... The 2018 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) indicated that the Republic of Korea (hereinafter Korea) had the third-longest number of working hours (1933 h per year) among countries in the OECD, following Mexico (2148 h) and Costa Rica (2121 h) [1]. Long working hours are a risk factor for workers' health, leading to depressive symptoms [2][3][4], unhealthy weight gain [2,5], poor sleep condition [3,6], poor cognitive function [7], and anxiety [3]. Moreover, the associations between long working hours and several chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease [3,8], stroke [9], metabolic syndrome [10], and injury [11] were also reported. ...
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This study compared the association between working hours and self-rated health (SRH) according to sex, socioeconomic status, and working conditions. In all, 25,144 participants were selected from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), conducted from 2010 to 2018. The risks of poor SRH, according to working hours, were investigated using multiple logistic regression. Both short and long working hours were associated with poor SRH. Men working short hours and women working long hours were at risk of poor SRH. Workers with fewer than nine years of education were at risk of poor SRH when working short hours, whereas workers with more than nine years of education were at risk when working long hours. Similarly, simple laborers were at risk of poor SRH when working short hours, while managers and professional workers were at risk when working long hours. When working for short hours, paid employees were at risk of poor SRH. Workers with a non-fixed work schedule showed no risk of poor SRH when working long or short hours. In conclusion, workers working short hours with low education and workers working long hours with high education were at risk of poor SRH. Working conditions were significantly related to the association between SRH and working hours.
... At present, the prevalence of sleep problems around the world is very high. Sleep problems have gradually become a health concern that cannot be ignored and have attracted the attention of scholars from various disciplines [47][48][49]. ...
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The impact of psychosocial factors on health has received increased attention. This study employed a multi-stage hierarchical cluster sampling method and a cross-sectional survey was conducted from March to August 2017. By studying 2116 oilfield workers based in Karamay, Xinjiang, the relationship between occupational stress, blood hormone levels, and sleep was analyzed. Occupational stress was measured using the internationally accepted Occupational Stress Inventory Revised Edition (OSI-R) questionnaire and sleep disorders were measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. The study found that the sleep quality of respondents was not high and the incidence of sleep disorders was 36.67%. The higher the level of occupational stress, the higher the incidence of sleep disorders. Irregular shifts can affect sleep quality and individuals with high-level professional titles experience a higher incidence of sleep disorders than those with low-level titles. The total score of the PSQI was different among the low, medium, and high stress groups. The higher the level of stress, the higher the scores of subjective sleep quality, sleep disorder, and daytime dysfunction. The scores of the PSQI, subjective sleep quality, sleep time, sleep disturbance, and daytime dysfunction in the high-stress group were higher than those in the low stress group. A case-control study found that the concentration of glucocorticoids in the sleep disorder positive group was lower than that in the sleep disorder negative group. The results of the regression analysis showed that glucocorticoid is a protective factor for sleep disorders (OR = 0.989, 95% CI: 0.983–0.995), suggesting that the higher the level of glycosaminoglycan, the less likely the subject is to have sleep disorders. For example, in the case of high occupational stress, the interaction between low and moderate occupational stress levels and glucocorticoids is a protective factor for sleep disorders.
... longer the work hour, the higher the risk of stroke and coronary heart disease [6]. Long work-hour is associated with psychologic factors such as depression, anxiety symptoms [7,8], and reduced sleep quality [9,10]. It also adversely influences worker's family [11,12]. ...
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Background: We investigated the association between long workhours and marital status change from married to divorced or separated status that might have bad health effects. Methods: A total of 40,654 participants with married status in 2014 were followed up in 2015. Weekly workhours were categorized into four groups: ≤ 40, 41-52, 53-60, and > 60 hours per week. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship between groups of workhours and marital status change after adjusting for age, total monthly household income, working type, and depression with sex stratification. Results: The study populations consisted of 8,346 (20.5%) females and 32,308 (79.5%) males. Odd ratios (ORs) of marital status change for females working for more than 60 hours per week was 4.26 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25-14.5), when working less than or equal to 40 hours per week was used as reference in the crude model. ORs of working more than 60 hours per week was 4.57 (95% CI: 1.02-20.5) in female workers when considering age, total household earning per month, working type of daytime, and depression in a dose-response manner. However, for male workers, long workhours were not significantly related to change of marriage status. Conclusions: Long workhours for more than 60 hours per week had significantly higher risk of divorce or separation in females, but not in males. Further follow-up studies are needed to evaluate long term effects of long workhours on divorce risk.
Article
In modern society, many workers struggle with sleep deprivation due to their work schedules and excessive workloads. Accurate self-awareness and self-monitoring abilities are crucial for workers to adopt risk-coping strategies and protective behaviors when fatigued. The current study examined the relationship between chronotypes and self-monitoring performance during 24 h of sleep deprivation. The study involved 26 male adults in a two-night experiment, and participants' diurnal preferences were evaluated using the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). Self-monitoring performance was calculated by comparing actual task performance with self-rated predicted or post-estimated performance in the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) and Digit Symbol Substitution Task (DSST). The study found that task and self-monitoring performances in the PVT and DSST were maintained until around 4:00 h, after which they began to deteriorate. Individuals with a higher MEQ score, indicating a stronger tendency towards a morning type, showed inaccurate self-monitoring, particularly in the final quarter of the sleep deprivation experiment, due to overly optimistic predictions. However, only prediction accuracy and not post-estimation showed this correlation. This study highlights the importance of considering an individual's chronotype in workplace management, particularly in workplaces with irregular work timings, rotating shifts, and long working hours, to ensure better occupational safety.
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Objectives Work schedule demands contribute to circadian disruption and may influence health via an inflammatory response. We examined the impact of shiftwork and long work hours on inflammation in a national US sample. Methods Participants included 12 487 employed black and white men and women aged ≥45 years enrolled in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Study who completed an occupational questionnaire (2011–2013) and clinical examination (2013–2016). Cross-sectional associations between shiftwork and work hours with log-transformed high-sensitivity C reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) count were examined by multiple linear regression analysis, overall and by race–sex subgroups. Results Overall, rotating shift workers had higher log-CRP concentration compared with day workers (β=0.09, 95% CI:0.02 to 0.16) and findings for WBC were null. Black women had the highest geometric mean CRP (2.82 mg/L), while white men had the highest WBC (6.35×10 ⁹ /L). White men who worked afternoons had higher log-CRP compared with those who worked days (β=0.20, 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.33). Black men engaged in shiftwork <10 years working ≥55 hours/week had higher log-CRP and log-WBC compared with those working days <55 hours/week (β=0.33, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.64 and β=0.10, 95% CI: 0.003 to 0.19). Among shift workers, non-retired white women working forward and backward shift rotations had higher log-CRP compared with those working forward only (β=0.49, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.96). Conclusions Shift workers had higher inflammatory markers compared with day workers and race–sex disparities should be examined further. These findings highlight a potential biological pathway linking work schedule demands and chronic disease.
Article
Objectives: The prevalence of long working hours has been accompanied by a corresponding rise in sleep disorders. Sedative-hypnotic agents (SHAs), have been reported as the second most commonly misused drug class in the U.S. The key objective of this study was to examine the relationship between working hours on the use of sleep aids and medications with sedative properties. Methods: The 2010-2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data was utilized. SHAs and medications with sedative related properties (MSRPs) were identified. Furthermore, we employed different regression models ranging from multivariable linear regression, Tobit regression, Heckman regression, and multivariable logistic regression, to ensure consistency, robustness, and reliability of associations. Results: Overall, a sample of 81,518 observations of full-time workers was analyzed. Working 56hours or more per week was significantly associated (p < 0.05) with an increased odds of using SHAs and MSRPs by 13% (Adjusted Odds Ratio, aOR =1.13, 95% Confidence Interval, CI=1.01:1.26) and 9% (aOR=1.09, 95% CI=1.03:1.16), respectively more than that among those who worked fewer hours. Females in our study had a higher likelihood (aOR=1.11, 95% CI=1.05:1.19) of using SHAs when compared to males. Also, professional services had the highest likelihood (aOR=1.31, 95% CI=1.14:1.50) of using SHAs. Conclusion: We found that long working hours were significantly associated with an elevated use of SHAs and MSRPs among U.S. workers. Specifically, female workers and individuals working in professional services had the highest likelihood of using sleep medications.
Article
Objective To examine associations between stress and work hours with sleep duration and insomnia symptoms among U.S.-born and Foreign-born Black adults. Design A cross-sectional analysis of the National Health Interview Survey. Participants Black adults (N = 16,315) with a mean age of 40 ± 0.1 years, mostly women (52.7%), college graduates (40.7%), and U.S.-born (82.5%). Measurements Participants self-reported sleep duration, insomnia symptoms, frequent stress (yes/no), and work hours in the prior week (1-39 hours, 40 hours, ≥41 hours). Poisson regression with robust variance was used to test associations overall and by nativity. Results Working ≥41 hours, frequent stress, and short sleep duration (<7 hours) were reported by 22%, 24.9%, and 43% of participants, respectively. U.S.-born and Foreign-born Black adults who reported frequent stress and working ≥41 hours vs. 40 hours had 60% and 19% higher prevalence of short sleep duration (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] = 1.60, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.47, 1.74 and aPR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.25, respectively). Foreign-born Black adults who worked 1-39 hours vs. 40 hours, had higher prevalence of short sleep duration, aPR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.37. U.S.-born Black adults who worked ≥41 hours vs. 40 hours had higher prevalence of insomnia symptoms (trouble falling asleep: aPR = 1.33 [95% CI: 1.13, 1.56], trouble staying asleep: aPR = 1.33 [95% CI: 1.16, 1.53]). Conclusion Frequent stress and working ≥41 hours are likely salient determinants of sleep health for U.S. and Foreign-born Black individuals. Further, less work hours (Foreign-born) while longer work hours (U.S.-born) were associated with short sleep duration. Stress and work hours may be factors for sleep health interventions among Black adults.
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Objectives The health effects of work-time arrangements have been largely studied for long working hours, whereas a lack of knowledge remains regarding the potential health impact of reduced work-time interventions. Therefore, we conducted this review in order to assess the relationships between work-time reduction and health outcomes. Design Systematic review of published studies. Medline, PsycINFO, Embase and Web of Science databases were searched from January 2000 up to November 2019. Outcomes The primary outcome was the impact of reduced working time with retained salary on health effects, interventional and observational studies providing a quantitative analysis of any health-related outcome were included. Studies with qualitative research methods were excluded. Results A total of 3876 published articles were identified and 7 studies were selected for the final analysis, all with a longitudinal interventional design. The sample size ranged from 63 participants to 580 workers, mostly from healthcare settings. Two studies assessed a work-time reduction to 6 hours per day; two studies evaluated a weekly work-time reduction of 25%; two studies evaluated simultaneously a reduced weekly work-time reduction proportionally to the amount of time worked and a 2.5 hours of physical activity programme per week instead of work time; one study assessed a reduced weekly work-time reduction from 39 to 30 hours per week. A positive relationship between reduced working hours and working life quality, sleep and stress was observed. It is unclear whether work time reduction determined an improvement in general health outcomes, such as self-perceived health and well-being. Conclusions These findings suggest that the reduction of working hours with retained salary could be an effective workplace intervention for the improvement of employees’ well-being, especially regarding stress and sleep. Further studies in different contexts are needed to better evaluate the impact of work-time reduction on other health outcomes.
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Introduction: Musculoskeletal pains are the most common health problems in the workplace, and one of the most important risk factors for these pains is longer working hours. This study aimed to investigate the association between long working hours and musculoskeletal pain. Methods: Based on the keywords, two scientific sources, including PubMed and Embase, were reviewed. Time limit search included articles that were published until May 2020 and only published studies in English were eligible. The results of the studies were combined based on random effects and pooled odds ratio reported. The degree of heterogeneity in all analyzes was investigated and reported based on tests ᵡ2 and I2. Publishing bias was also measured using statistical tests. Results: Longer working hours are associated with increased musculoskeletal pain with Odd ratio (OR) =1.11 and 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.08, 1.14]. The result was OR=1.52 and 95% CI [1.14, 2.03] in men and OR=1.11 and 95% CI [1.00, 1.24] in women. Discussion: Long working hours are an important and threatening factor for musculoskeletal health. Therefore, this issue should be considered in health policy as well as treatment and prevention.
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This study examines the effects of short sleep duration (SSD) on hemodynamic and psychological responses under long working hours (LWH) in a laboratory experiment. Sixteen subjects participated in a crossover design experiment consisting of two conditions: normal (7-hours) sleep and short (5-hours) sleep. In each condition, participants engaged in simulated LWH (13 hours a day), comprising 12 task sessions. Hemodynamic and psychological responses were measured in each session. Results showed that there were significant main effects of condition and session but no interaction for hemodynamic and psychological responses. Systolic blood pressure and fatigue were higher in the later sessions than the first one. Stroke volume, sleepiness, fatigue, and stress were higher in the 5-hour than the 7-hour sleep condition (all p<0.05). These results suggest that although the combined effect of LWH and SSD was not significant, both LWH and SSD caused a hemodynamic and psychological burden.
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Working in the military has special demands, including 24/7 high performance and flexibility. Commitment to work is high and work is perceived as meaningful, but there are many stressors associated with work. This literature review examines research on peacetime working hours and well-being of officers. Little information was found on the officers´ actual working hours. Self-reported working hours are long, particularly in the United States. There is broadly consistent evidence of sleep deficits among officers in different working contexts. Experiencing severe sleepiness during shifts/flights is also common. There is little research on psychological recovery. The incidence of work stress varies widely between studies. There are particular challenges in balancing work and personal life. Mental health problems and burn out appear to be more common than in the general population. More research data is needed, especially on actual working hours and their association to sleep disorders, recovery and the identification of mental overload. [scoping review in Finnish]
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Long working hours are known to have a negative effect on health. However, there is no clear evidence for a direct link between mental health and long working hours in the young adult populations. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether long working hours are associated with mental health in young adult workers. Data were collected from a 2012 follow-up survey of the Youth Panel 2007. A total of 3,332 young adult employees (aged 20 to 35) were enrolled in the study. We analyzed stress, depression, and suicidal thoughts by multivariate logistic regression analysis based on working hours (41 to 50, 51 to 60 and over 60 hours, compared to 31 to 40 hours per week), which was adjusted for sex, age, marriage status, region, and educational level. From the 3,332 young adult employees, about 60% of the workers worked more than 40 hours and 17% of the workers worked more than 50 hours per week. In a Chi-square test, stress level, depression, and suicidal thoughts increased with increasing working hours (p-value <0.001, 0.007, and 0.018, respectively). The multivariate logistic regression model showed that, compared to the 31 to 40 hours per week group, the adjusted odds ratios of the 41 to 50, 51 to 60, and over 60 hours per week groups for stress were 1.46(1.23–1.74), 2.25(1.79–2.83) and 2.55(1.72–3.77), respectively. A similar trend was shown in depression [odds ratios: 2.08(1.23–3.53), 2.79(1.44–5.39) and 4.09(1.59–10.55), respectively] and suicidal ideation [odds ratios: 1.98(0.95–4.10), 3.48(1.48–8.19) and 5.30(1.61–17.42), respectively]. We concluded that long working hours were associated with stress, depression, and suicidal ideation in young employees, aged 20 to 35.
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The relationship between long working hours and body weight outcomes remains inconclusive; thus, we conducted a meta‐analysis to assess the effect of long working hours on weight‐related outcomes. PubMed and Embase databases were searched from their inception to June 2019. A random‐effects model was used to assess the pooled odds ratio (OR) and corresponding confidence interval (CI). Subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were conducted to explore sources of heterogeneity. Publication bias was evaluated by the Begg's and Egger's tests. A total of 29 articles involving 374 863 participants were included. The pooled OR of long working hours on weight‐related outcomes was 1.13 (95% CI, 1.07‐1.19). In subgroup analysis stratified by definition of outcomes, the pooled ORs of long working hours on “weight gain/BMI increase,” “BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2,” and “BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2” were 1.19 (95% CI, 1.02‐1.40), 1.07 (95% CI, 1.00‐1.14), and 1.23 (95% CI, 1.09‐1.39), respectively. We found evidence of publication bias, but correction for this bias using the trim‐and‐fill method did not alter the combined OR substantially. There was evidence to suggest that long working hours are associated with adverse weight‐related outcomes. Preventative interventions such as improved flexibility and healthy working schedules should be established for employees.
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This study examined the association between long working hours and cognitive function in middle age. Data were collected in 1997–1999 (baseline) and 2002–2004 (follow-up) from a prospective study of 2,214 British civil servants who were in full-time employment at baseline and had data on cognitive tests and covariates. A battery of cognitive tests (short-term memory, Alice Heim 4-I, Mill Hill vocabulary, phonemic fluency, and semantic fluency) were measured at baseline and at follow-up. Compared with working 40 hours per week at most, working more than 55 hours per week was associated with lower scores in the vocabulary test at both baseline and follow-up. Long working hours also predicted decline in performance on the reasoning test (Alice Heim 4-I). Similar results were obtained by using working hours as a continuous variable; the associations between working hours and cognitive function were robust to adjustments for several potential confounding factors including age, sex, marital status, education, occupation, income, physical diseases, psychosocial factors, sleep disturbances, and health risk behaviors. This study shows that long working hours may have a negative effect on cognitive performance in middle age.
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Unlabelled: Falling asleep while driving accounts for a considerable proportion of vehicle accidents under monotonous driving conditions. Many of these accidents are related to work--for example, drivers of lorries, goods vehicles, and company cars. Time of day (circadian) effects are profound, with sleepiness being particularly evident during night shift work, and driving home afterwards. Circadian factors are as important in determining driver sleepiness as is the duration of the drive, but only duration of the drive is built into legislation protecting professional drivers. Older drivers are also vulnerable to sleepiness in the mid-afternoon. Possible pathological causes of driver sleepiness are discussed, but there is little evidence that this factor contributes greatly to the accident statistics. Sleep does not occur spontaneously without warning. Drivers falling asleep are unlikely to recollect having done so, but will be aware of the precursory state of increasing sleepiness; probably reaching a state of fighting off sleep before an accident. Self awareness of sleepiness is a better method for alerting the driver than automatic sleepiness detectors in the vehicle. None of these have been proved to be reliable and most have shortcomings. Putative counter measures to sleepiness, adopted during continued driving (cold air, use of car radio) are only effective for a short time. The only safe counter measure to driver sleepiness, particularly when the driver reaches the stage of fighting sleep, is to stop driving, and--for example, take a 30 minute break encompassing a short (< 15 minute) nap or coffee (about 150 mg caffeine), which are very effective particularly if taken together. Exercise is of little use. Conclusions: More education of employers and employees is needed about planning journeys, the dangers of driving while sleepy, and driving at vulnerable times of the day.
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Presuming that overtime work may associate with chronic fatigue and then decrease cardiovascular function, this report was prepared to find out the definite positive relationship between long working hours and subjective fatigue complaints. We analysed the data of a field survey of 238 men who were working at the department of research & development of three electronics manufacturing companies in S. Korea. The field survey consisted of self-report questionnaires on the working hours, health conditions, and fatigue. For data analysis, the subjects were divided into 3 groups on the criteria of 60 and 70 working hours per week: less longer (LLWH), longer (LWH), and more longer (MLWH) working hour groups. We compared the age-adjusted mean % scores of fatigue complaints among LLWH, LWH, and MLWH. The rate of complaints of subjective fatigue before going to work for LWH and MLWH tended to be significantly higher than those for LLWH. Hence, we conclude that the questionnaire on the subjective fatigue complaints is a good screening tool for early detection of cumulative fatigue due to chronic job stress such as long working hours.
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Patients often complain about insufficient sleep or chronic insomnia in the belief that they need 8 hours of sleep. Treatment strategies may be guided by what sleep durations predict optimal survival and whether insomnia might signal mortality risks. In 1982, the Cancer Prevention Study II of the American Cancer Society asked participants about their sleep duration and frequency of insomnia. Cox proportional hazards survival models were computed to determine whether sleep duration or frequency of insomnia was associated with excess mortality up to 1988, controlling simultaneously for demographics, habits, health factors, and use of various medications. Participants were more than 1.1 million men and women from 30 to 102 years of age. The best survival was found among those who slept 7 hours per night. Participants who reported sleeping 8 hours or more experienced significantly increased mortality hazard, as did those who slept 6 hours or less. The increased risk exceeded 15% for those reporting more than 8.5 hours sleep or less than 3.5 or 4.5 hours. In contrast, reports of "insomnia" were not associated with excess mortality hazard. As previously described, prescription sleeping pill use was associated with significantly increased mortality after control for reported sleep durations and insomnia. Patients can be reassured that short sleep and insomnia seem associated with little risk distinct from comorbidities. Slight risks associated with 8 or more hours of sleep and sleeping pill use need further study. Causality is unproven.
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To investigate the impact of employees' worktime control on health, taking into account other aspects of job control. Analysis of questionnaire data in 1997 and register data on sickness absence during 1996-1998. Eight towns in Finland. 6442 municipal employees (1490 men and 4952 women) representing the staff of the towns studied. Follow up was 17 706 person years. In women, poor health and psychological distress were more prevalent among those in the lowest quartile of worktime control than those in the highest (after adjustment for potential confounders including other aspects of job control, odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals for poor health and psychological distress were 1.8 (1.5 to 2.3) and 1.6 (1.3 to 2.0), respectively). Correspondingly, the adjusted sickness absence rate was 1.2 (1.1 to 1.2) times higher in women with low worktime control than in women with high worktime control. In men, no significant associations between worktime control and health were found. These results, obtained from the total sample, were replicable within a homogeneous occupational group comprising women and men. Exploration of specific aspects of job control provides new information about potentially reversible causes of health problems in a working population. Worktime control is an independent predictor of health in women but not in men. Dissimilarities in the distribution of occupations between men and women are not a probable explanation for this difference.
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The effects of working hours on health were examined taking psychological job strain into account. White-collar workers employed at the main office of a Japanese manufacturing company provided data for analysis done in 1997. The eligible subjects were 286 workers aged 20-39. Causal relationships between working hours, health, and psychological job strain were examined by covariance structure analyses. The main findings were as follows: Not only working hours but also sleeping hours and vacations affected the workers' effort to deal with work as a work-related hour factor. Decision authority and skill discretion of Karasek's psychological job strain items significantly constituted a discretion in the work factor, and this factor moderated the effects of the work-related hour factor on health. The effects of psychological job strain, especially discretion, must always be taken into account in examinations of working hours and health.
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Both marriage and education appear to confer a protective effect on health. Few studies have examined the extent to which both undersleeping and oversleeping explain these relationships. I examined whether marital status, educational background, and other sociodemographic variables are associated with higher-risk sleep durations. Over 7000 individuals aged 25-64 collected time-use diary data during a 24-h period. For both weekdays and weekend days, separate multinomial logistic regression models were estimated using three categories of sleep duration as the outcome category. Unmarried individuals are significantly more likely to sleep a short amount on both weekdays and weekends compared to married people. Single people also are significantly more likely to sleep a long amount. People with less than a college education are significantly more likely to sleep both a short amount and a long amount on weekdays relative to the college educated. High-risk sleep durations (short sleeping and long sleeping) are positively associated with sociodemographic categories associated with poorer health. More research should investigate whether social inequalities in health can be explained in part by variation in sleep duration.
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Previous studies of long workhours and their effects on stress, sleep, and health show inconclusive results. This inconclusiveness may be partly due to methodological problems such as the use of between-group designs or comparisons before and after reorganizations. In addition, stress is usually a confounder. A within-person design was used to examine the effects of working 8- or 12-hour shifts in the absence of additional stress. In an experimental field study, 16 white-collar workers [9 women, mean age 45.9 (SD 15) years] undertook one workweek with normal workhours (8 hours) and 1 week of overtime with 4 extra hours of regular worktasks (12 hours). The participants wore actigraphs, rated sleepiness (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale) and stress throughout the day, and rated workload and how exhausted they felt. Saliva samples were collected on Mondays and Thursdays for cortisol analysis. On these days, ambulatory heart rate and blood pressure were also measured for 24 hours. Overtime was associated with higher levels of exhaustion. Sleepiness showed a significant interaction between conditions, with higher levels at the end of the workweek featuring overtime. Total sleep time was shorter in the overtime week. There were no significant differences between ratings of stress and workload. Cortisol showed a circadian variation but no main effect of condition. One week of overtime work with a moderate workload produced no main effects on physiological stress markers. Nevertheless, sleep was negatively affected, with shorter sleeps during overtime work and greater problems with fatigue and sleepiness.
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Late in the 1970s, serious social concern over health problems due to long working hours has arisen in Japan. This report briefly summarizes the Japanese circumstances about long working hours and what the Government has achieved so far. The national statistics show that more than 6 million people worked for 60 h or more per week during years 2000 and 2004. Approximately three hundred cases of brain and heart diseases were recognized as labour accidents resulting from overwork (Karoshi) by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) between 2002 and 2005. Consequently, the MHLW has been working to establish a more appropriate compensation system for Karoshi, as well as preventive measures for overwork related health problems. In 2001, the MHLW set the standards for clearly recognizing Karoshi in association with the amount of overtime working hours. These standards were based on the results of a literature review and medical examinations indicating a relationship between overwork and brain and heart diseases. In 2002, the MHLW launched the program for the prevention of health impairment due to overwork, and in 2005 the health guidance through an interview by a doctor for overworked workers has been enacted as law. Long working hours are controversial issues because of conflicts between health, safety, work-life balance, and productivity. It is obvious that we need to continue research regarding the impact on worker health and the management of long working hours.
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This paper aims at describing the associations between workhours and psychosocial work characteristics and reviews the health effects of workhours and the related pathways. The role of insufficient sleep as a possible common pathway from workhours and work stress to cardiovascular illness is discussed. Finally, the key possibilities for improving recovery and health through changes in workhours are identified. Night work and shift work are related to a wide range of health effects, the evidence for the risk of cardiovascular morbidity being the strongest. Insufficient or poor sleep, related to insufficient recovery, can be a common pathway from long workhours, shift work, and work stress to cardiovascular illness. The most promising worktime-related means for decreasing the psychosocial workload and negative health effects of workhours would be (i) to regulate overtime and excessive workhours, (ii) increase individual worktime control, and (iii) increase recovery from the introduction of sleep-promoting principles into shift rotation.
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To gain some insight into how various behavioral (lifestyle) factors influence sleep duration, by investigation of the relationship of sleep time to waking activities using the American Time Use Survey (ATUS). Cross-sectional data from ATUS, an annual telephone survey of a population sample of US citizens who are interviewed regarding how they spent their time during a 24-hour period between 04:00 on the previous day and 04:00 on the interview day. Data were pooled from the 2003, 2004, and 2005 ATUS databases involving N=47,731 respondents older than 14 years of age. N/A. Adjusted multiple linear regression models showed that the largest reciprocal relationship to sleep was found for work time, followed by travel time, which included commute time. Only shorter than average sleepers (<7.5 h) spent more time socializing, relaxing, and engaging in leisure activities, while both short (<5.5 h) and long sleepers (> or =8.5 h) watched more TV than the average sleeper. The extent to which sleep time was exchanged for waking activities was also shown to depend on age and gender. Sleep time was minimal while work time was maximal in the age group 45-54 yr, and sleep time increased both with lower and higher age. Work time, travel time, and time for socializing, relaxing, and leisure are the primary activities reciprocally related to sleep time among Americans. These activities may be confounding the frequently observed association between short and long sleep on one hand and morbidity and mortality on the other hand and should be controlled for in future studies.
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Reduced sleep can be associated with a risk of health problems. Information technologies (IT) professionals often work long hours and this could have an effect on their sleep quality. To examine the prevalence of sleep debt, insomnia and long working hours among Finnish IT professionals and to analyse which specific work-related factors are associated with shortened sleep. Cross-sectional, representative data from a questionnaire survey of IT professionals. Hierarchical regression analyses were applied to investigate relationships of sleep debt and insomnia. A total of 2,334 IT professionals responded to the survey. Thirty-seven per cent reported sleep debt of at least 1 h and 6% of at least 2 h, while 16% reported insomnia. Twenty-seven per cent worked for a minimum of 50 h a week, while 31% spent at least 50 h a week on work. The most important factors associated with both sleep debt and insomnia were work-related demands requiring long hours, mental stamina and problem solving and positive perceptions of work, such as job control and importance of the respondents' own work in their life. Even though long working hours were common among IT professionals in Finland, sleep debt and insomnia were not. Work-related factors were associated with insufficient sleep.
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Although sleep curtailment has become widespread in industrialised societies, little work has examined the effects on mortality of change in sleep duration. We investigated associations of sleep duration and change in sleep duration with all-cause, cardiovascular, and non-cardiovascular mortality. Prospective cohort study. Data are from baseline (Phase 1, 1985-88) and Phase 3 (1991-93), with mortality follow-up of 17 and 12 years respectively. The Whitehall II study of 10,308 white-collar British civil servants aged 35-55 at baseline. 9781 participants with complete data were included in the analyses at Phase 1, and 7729 of the same participants were included in the analyses at Phase 3 and the analyses of change in sleep duration. None. U-shaped associations were observed between sleep (< or =5, 6, 7, 8, > or =9 hours) at Phase 1 and Phase 3 and subsequent all-cause, cardiovascular, and non-cardiovascular mortality. A decrease in sleep duration among participants sleeping 6, 7, or 8 hours at baseline was associated with cardiovascular mortality, hazard ratio 2.4 (95% confidence intervals 1.4-4.1). However, an increase in sleep duration among those sleeping 7 or 8 hours at baseline was associated with non-cardiovascular mortality, hazard ratio 2.1 (1.4-3.1). Adjustment for the socio-demographic factors, existing morbidity, and health-related behaviours measured left these associations largely unchanged. This is the first study to show that both a decrease in sleep duration and an increase in sleep duration are associated with an increase in mortality via effects on cardiovascular death and non-cardiovascular death respectively.
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Two hundred and three Karoshi victims who suffered cardiovascular attacks and for whom workers' compensations was claimed were surveyed. These cases were 196 males and 7 females in middle age, and comprised 123 strokes, 50 acute cardiac failures, 27 myocardial infarctions and 4 aortic ruptures. As a sociomedical background, it was shown that two-thirds of them were working for long hours such as more than 60 hr per week, more than 50 hr overtime per month, or more than half of their fixed holidays before the attack. Moreover, among the white-collar workers, these long working hours were accompanied with other stressful work issues such as career problems, excessive business trips, strident norms, and changes of work places; among the blue-collar workers, they were accompanied with those such as irregular midnight work, insufficient manpower and long-distance driving, etc. On the other hand, eighty-eight cases of them experienced several minor and sudden events including work-related emotional anxiety or excitement, rapid increase of workload, unexpected work trouble or environmental changes of work places anticipated at least within 24 hr directly before the attack. It was concluded that Karoshi, meaning fatal attacks by overload, was one of the work-related diseases mainly triggered by long working hours.
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Despite the prevalence of sleep complaints among psychiatric patients, few questionnaires have been specifically designed to measure sleep quality in clinical populations. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is a self-rated questionnaire which assesses sleep quality and disturbances over a 1-month time interval. Nineteen individual items generate seven "component" scores: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping medication, and daytime dysfunction. The sum of scores for these seven components yields one global score. Clinical and clinimetric properties of the PSQI were assessed over an 18-month period with "good" sleepers (healthy subjects, n = 52) and "poor" sleepers (depressed patients, n = 54; sleep-disorder patients, n = 62). Acceptable measures of internal homogeneity, consistency (test-retest reliability), and validity were obtained. A global PSQI score greater than 5 yielded a diagnostic sensitivity of 89.6% and specificity of 86.5% (kappa = 0.75, p less than 0.001) in distinguishing good and poor sleepers. The clinimetric and clinical properties of the PSQI suggest its utility both in psychiatric clinical practice and research activities.
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To examine the effects of work stressors on alcohol use and drinking problems as well as a model of stress-induced drinking in Japanese male and female workers, a total of 2581 employees of a computer factory were surveyed using mailed questionnaires. Five psychosocial work stressors, overtime, rotating shift, frequency of drinking, amount of alcohol consumed per drinking occasion, and drinking problems, and depressive symptoms were assessed. The hierarchical linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted in 1043 male and 255 female current drinkers aged 20 years or older. The results suggested that overtime and lack of intrinsic work rewards are main factors for heavy and problem drinking in Japanese male workers and that ambiguity about job future is a factor for heavy drinking in Japanese female workers. However, the model of stress-induced drinking was supported neither in males nor in females, suggesting that the effects of these work stressors on heavy and problem drinking are not mediated by depressive symptoms.
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To clarify the extent to which working hours affect the risk of acute myocardial infarction, independent of established risk factors and occupational conditions. Case-control study. University and general hospitals and routine medical examinations at workplaces in Japan. Cases were 195 men aged 30-69 years admitted to hospital with acute myocardial infarction during 1990-3. Controls were 331 men matched at group level for age and occupation who were judged to be free of coronary heart diseases at routine medical examinations in the workplace. Odds ratios for myocardial infarction in relation to previous mean daily working hours in a month and changes in mean working hours during previous year. Compared with men with mean working hours of >7-9 hours, the odds ratio of acute myocardial infarction (adjusted for age and occupation) for men with working hours of >11 hours was 2.44 (95% confidence interval 1.26 to 4.73) and for men with working hours of <=7 hours was 3.07 (1.77 to 5.32). Compared with men who experienced an increase of <=1 hour in mean working hours, the adjusted odds ratio of myocardial infarction for men who experienced an increase of >3 hours was 2.53 (1.34 to 4. 77). No appreciable change was observed when odds ratios were adjusted for established and psychosocial risk factors for myocardial infarction. There was a U shaped relation between the mean working hours and the risk of acute myocardial infarction. There also seemed to be a trend for the risk of infarction to increase with greater increases in mean working hours.
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Subjective sleep quality has been identified as an important clinical construct in psychiatric disordered patients. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), one of the most widely used standardized measures to assess subjective sleep quality, generates a global score and scores seven components. The present study psychometrically assessed clinical profiles of subjective sleep quality in 82 control and 92 psychiatric disordered subjects (primary insomnia, n=14; major depression, n=30; generalized anxiety disorder, n=24; and schizophrenia, n=24), using the Japanese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-J). The overall reliability coefficient of the PSQI-J was high (Cronbach's alpha=0.77). Correlation coefficients between the PSQI-J global and component scores were statistically significant. The PSQI-J global and component mean scores were significantly higher in psychiatric disordered subjects than control subjects, except for the component of sleep duration. Using a cut-off point of 5.5 in the PSQI-J global score, estimations of sensitivity and specificity provided 85.7 and 86.6% for primary insomnia, 80.0 and 86.6% for major depression, 83.3 and 86.6% for generalized anxiety disorder, and 83.3 and 86.6% for schizophrenia, respectively. The present study supports the utility of the PSQI-J as a reliable and valid measure for subjective sleep quality in clinical practice and research.
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To examine the relation between working hours and hours of sleep and the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), with special reference to the joint effect of these two factors. Case-control study in Japan. Cases were 260 men aged 40-79 admitted to hospitals with AMI during 1996-8. Controls were 445 men free from AMI matched for age and residence who were recruited from the resident registers. Odds ratios of AMI relative to mean weekly working hours and daily hours of sleep in the past year or in the recent past were calculated. Weekly working hours were related to progressively increased odds ratios of AMI in the past year as well as in the past month, with a twofold increased risk for overtime work (weekly working hours >or=61) compared with working hours <or=40. Short time sleep (daily hours of sleep <or=5) and frequent lack of sleep (2 or more days/week with <5 hours of sleep) were also associated with a two to threefold increased risk. Frequent lack of sleep and few days off in the recent past showed greater odds ratios than those in the past year. Overtime work and insufficient sleep may be related to increased risk of AMI.
Article
The study examined the multivariate relationship between disturbed sleep and different work-related and background/life style factors. 5720 healthy employed men and women living in the greater Stockholm area participated. A factor analysis of eight items provided one main factor: "disturbed sleep." The data were analyzed using a multiple logistic regression analysis against the index disturbed sleep as well as the separate items "not well rested" and "difficulties awakening." The results showed that high work demands [odds ratio (OR) = 2.15] and physical effort at work (OR = 1.94) are risk indicators for disturbed sleep, while high social support is associated with reduced risk (OR = 0.44). In addition, higher age (45+), female gender, a high body mass index (BMI) and lack of exercise are background/life style risk indicators. Introducing into the model an item representing inability to stop thinking about work during free time yielded the highest OR (3.20) and forced work demands out of the regression. With regard to not feeling well rested, the same significant predictors, except physical effort, were obtained, as well as for having night work and being married. In addition, the age effect was reversed--high age predicted reduced risk of not feeling well rested. Difficulties awakening was predicted by high work demands, low social support, being male, low age and smoking. It is notable that, whereas subjective sleep quality decreased with age, the difficulties awakening and feelings of not being well rested after sleep increased with age. It was concluded that stress and the social situation at work are strongly linked to disturbed sleep and impaired awakening, that gender and, even more so, age may modify this and that the inability to stop worrying about work during free time may be an important link in the relation between stress and sleep.
Article
This paper summarizes the associations between long workhours and health, with special attention for the physiological recovery and behavioral life-style mechanisms that may explain the relationship. The evidence for these mechanisms has not been systematically reviewed earlier. A total of 27 recent empirical studies met the selection criteria. They showed that long workhours are associated with adverse health as measured by several indicators (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, disability retirement, subjectively reported physical health, subjective fatigue). Furthermore, some evidence exists for an association between long workhours and physiological changes (cardiovascular and immunologic parameters) and changes in health-related behavior (reduced sleep hours). Support for the physiological recovery mechanism seems stronger than support for the behavioral life-style mechanism. However, the evidence is inconclusive because many studies did not control for potential confounders. Due to the gaps in the current evidence and the methodological shortcomings of the studies in the review, further research is needed.
Article
Long work hours and work shifts of an extended duration (> or =24 hours) remain a hallmark of medical education in the United States. Yet their effect on health and safety has not been evaluated with the use of validated measures. We conducted a prospective nationwide, Web-based survey in which 2737 residents in their first postgraduate year (interns) completed 17,003 monthly reports that provided detailed information about work hours, work shifts of an extended duration, documented motor vehicle crashes, near-miss incidents, and incidents involving involuntary sleeping. The odds ratios for reporting a motor vehicle crash and for reporting a near-miss incident after an extended work shift, as compared with a shift that was not of extended duration, were 2.3 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.6 to 3.3) and 5.9 (95 percent confidence interval, 5.4 to 6.3), respectively. In a prospective analysis, every extended work shift that was scheduled in a month increased the monthly risk of a motor vehicle crash by 9.1 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 3.4 to 14.7 percent) and increased the monthly risk of a crash during the commute from work by 16.2 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 7.8 to 24.7 percent). In months in which interns worked five or more extended shifts, the risk that they would fall asleep while driving or while stopped in traffic was significantly increased (odds ratios, 2.39 [95 percent confidence interval, 2.31 to 2.46] and 3.69 [95 percent confidence interval, 3.60 to 3.77], respectively). Extended-duration work shifts, which are currently sanctioned by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, pose safety hazards for interns. These results have implications for medical residency programs, which routinely schedule physicians to work more than 24 consecutive hours.
Article
To investigate the impact of overtime work, sleep duration, and perceived job characteristics on physical and mental status, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 377 workers (average age; 28 years old) in an information-technology (IT) company, engaged in consultation, system integration solution, and data management relevant to IT system. The psychophysical outcomes of overtime work were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HDS), Profile of Mood Status (POMS), major physical symptoms, and overtime work data for the preceding three-months. Sleep duration was directly asked by a physician. A job strain index was defined as the ratio of job-demands to job-control scores evaluated using the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). In a univariate analysis, overtime work was significantly related with HDS scores, POMS anger-hostility scores, and the total physical symptom count in both sexes (all p < 0.05), but not in multiple regression models, after controlling for sleep duration and the job strain index. Sleep duration was negatively related to the symptom count in men and to POMS tension-anxiety scores in women (both p < 0.05); the job strain index was positively related to POMS anger-hostility scores in both sexes and to HDS scores and POMS tension-anxiety scores in men (all p < 0.05). Although overtime work was associated with physical and mental complaints, sleep duration and the job strain index seemed to be better indicators for physical and mental distress in overloaded workers.
Article
There is growing concern over the possible increase in mental health problems among Japanese workers. This trend is generally regarded as a reflection of Japan's prolonged economic depression and changes in working environment. In fact, claims for compensation for industrial accidents related to mental health diseases have been rapidly increasing in recent years. Working hours, personal-relationships, support from supervisors/co-workers, job demand, job control, and payment are known to affect workers mental health. In 2004, the Government announced a guideline to combat overwork and mental health problems at work places. This guideline articulates that long overtime working is a major indicator, and workers who work over 100 h overtime in a month should be encouraged to see an occupational physician. This guideline takes into account the practicalities of occupational health at work places and the empiric knowledge that long working hours might associate with workers mental health status. It may be reasonable to assume that long working hours affect workers health status both psychologically and physiologically, interacting with a variety of occupational factors, particularly job stress. However, the association between working hours and workers mental health status has not been fully clarified. The present article aimed to provide a systematic review of the association between working hours and mental health problems. The authors conducted a systematic review of the published literature on the association between working hours and mental health problems using PubMed. Of 131 abstracts and citations reviewed, 17 studies met the predefined criteria. Ten of these are longitudinal studies, and the others are cross-sectional studies. Seven of the 17 studies report statistically significant associations between working hours and mental health problems, while the others report no association. In addition, comparison among these studies is difficult because a variety of measurements of working hours were used. The present review found inconsistent results in the association between working hours and mental health burden.
Article
This review demonstrates that stress is closely related to impaired sleep in cross-sectional studies. In particular, the anticipation of high demands or effort the next day seems important. Sleep recordings show that stress is associated with shortened sleep, fragmentation, and possibly a reduction in sleep stages 3 and 4. Shortened or disturbed sleep causes increases in levels of traditional stress markers (eg, cortisol) and may thus exacerbate the effects of stress. Much knowledge is still lacking, however, particularly about the effects of real-life work stress. The latter requires longitudinal studies in real-life situations.
Article
This contribution aims at shedding light on the mechanisms that may underlie the relationship between acute reactions to stressful work characteristics and employee health in the long run. Recovery, a process of psychophysiological unwinding after effort expenditure, is considered a vital link in this relationship. This link is explained on the basis of assumptions from theories on effort, recovery, and sustained activation. It is argued that recovery after work (external recovery) is particularly necessitated when recovery opportunities during worktime (internal recovery) are insufficient. It is further argued that two conditions may impede the recovery process by sustaining physiological activation, prolonged exposure to work demands (working long hours) and cognitive stress-related processes (such as rumination). These theoretical assumptions are substantiated by empirical support from previous laboratory and field research. It is concluded that the chronic situation of sustained physiological activation and incomplete recovery is an important pathway to chronic health impairment.
Article
Epidemiologic studies have shown that habitual sleeping patterns are associated with all-cause mortality risk. However, sleep duration may be affected by physical, mental, or social conditions, and its impact on health may differ depending on the time or place. To examine the effects of sleep duration on all-cause mortality after adjusting for several covariates, mental condition in particular. A total of 104,010 subjects (43,852 men and 60,158 women), aged 40 to 79 years, who enrolled in the JACC Study (Japan Collaborative Cohort Study on Evaluation of Cancer Risk Sponsored by Monbusho) from 1988 to 1990 and were followed for an average of 9.9 years. Average sleep duration on weekdays and covariates, including perceived mental stress and depressive symptoms, were used in the analyses. Relative risks were calculated by Cox's proportional hazard model separately by sex. Men tended to sleep longer than women, and the elderly slept longer than younger subjects. Mean sleep duration was 7.5 hours for men and 7.1 hours for women; mode durations were 8 hours (range, 7.5-8.4 hours) and 7 hours (6.5-7.4), respectively. Sleep duration of shorter or longer than 7 hours was associated with a significantly elevated risk of all-cause mortality. However, the significant association with short sleep disappears when adjusted for some covariates among men. Sleep duration at night of 7 hours was found to show the lowest mortality risk.
Moderating effects of psychological job strain on the relationship between working hours and health: an examination of white-collar workers employed by a Japanese manufacturing company
  • K Tarumi
  • A Hagiwara
  • K Morimoto
Tarumi, K., Hagiwara, A. and Morimoto, K. Moderating effects of psychological job strain on the relationship between working hours and health: an examination of white-collar workers employed by a Japanese manufacturing company. J. Occup. Health, 2004, 46: 3453-3451.
Overtime work and its effects on sleep, sleepiness, cortisol and blood pressure in an experimental field study
  • A Dahlgren
  • G Kecklund
  • T Kerstedt
Dahlgren, A., Kecklund, G. and Å kerstedt, T. Overtime work and its effects on sleep, sleepiness, cortisol and blood pressure in an experimental field study. Scand. J. Work Environ. Health, 2006, 32: 318-327.
  • Lee