Functional bowel disorders in rotating shift nurses may be related to sleep disturbances

To compare the frequency and severity of bowel disturbances between rotating shift and regular day nurses and to determine whether functional bowel disorders (FBD) were related to sleep disturbances.

Sixty regular day and 58 rotating shift nurses answered three standardized questionnaires: the Gastrointestinal Symptom Questionnaire; the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; and the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms Evaluation Questionnaire, which included the Sleep Questionnaire, on the frequency and severity of gastrointestinal symptoms, sleep disturbances and psychological distress. Responses to these questions were numerically rated and the sums of individual symptom scores under the respective categories were computed and analysed using statistical tests, as appropriate.

Although 22 out of 58 rotating shift nurses (38%) had FBD, only 12 out of 60 regular day nurses (20%) had it (P=0.04). The mean FBD symptom score (P<0.002), sleep disturbance score (P<0.0001) and anxiety score (P<0.002) were all significantly higher among the rotating shift nurses. FBD symptom scores were positively correlated with the sleep disturbance (P=0.0001), anxiety (P=0.0001), depression (P=0.0001), well-being (P=0.0001), fatigue (P=0.0001), and somatic pain scores (P=0.0001). Sleep disturbance (P=0.04), decreased well-being (P=0.04), anxiety (P=0.02), and somatic pain (P=0.03) were independent predictors of FBD symptoms.

FBD were more common and severe among rotating shift nurses. The FBD symptom score was positively and independently correlated with the sleep disturbance score, suggesting that poor sleep might be associated with increased FBD symptoms in rotating shift nurses.