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Influence on working hours among shift workers and effects on sleep quality - An intervention study
Anne Helene Garde1, Kirsten Nabe-Nielsen, Birgit Aust
1The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark. ahg@nrcwe.dk
Applied Ergonomics
|August 24, 2010
Summary
Giving shift workers more control over their work hours did not improve sleep quality in Danish elder care workers. The intervention showed no significant effects on sleep, despite increased autonomy in one group.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Sleep Medicine
- Sociology of Work
Background:
- Shift work is associated with sleep disturbances and negative health outcomes.
- Employee influence on working hours is a potential factor for improving work-life balance.
- Previous interventions have shown mixed results on sleep quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of increased employee influence on working hours on sleep quality among shift workers.
- To assess the effectiveness of different intervention intensities (high, moderate, low) on sleep quality.
- To explore the process of the intervention through qualitative interviews.
Main Methods:
- An intervention study involving 391 Danish elder care workers.
- Categorization into high (self-rostering), moderate, low intensity intervention, and reference groups.
- Sleep quality assessed using the Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire (KSQ) at baseline and 12-month follow-up.
- Qualitative interviews conducted to understand the intervention process.
Main Results:
- Increased influence on working hours was observed only in the high intensity group (p < 0.001).
- No statistically significant improvements in sleep quality were detected across any intervention groups.
- Qualitative data suggested potential program failures and other contributing factors.
Conclusions:
- Increasing employee influence over working hours did not enhance sleep quality in this cohort of Danish elder care workers.
- Intervention effectiveness may be limited by factors such as program implementation issues and participant work schedules (e.g., limited night or full-time work).
- Further research is needed to understand the complex relationship between work hour control and sleep quality in shift workers.
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