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Age and work environment characteristics in relation to sleep: Additive, interactive and curvilinear effects
1University of Oxford, UK; University of Western Australia, Australia.
Applied Ergonomics
|February 7, 2016
Summary
Interactions between age and work environment significantly impact sleep. Older workers experiencing high job demand and low social support face greater sleep impairment, highlighting the need for tailored workplace strategies.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Sleep Science
- Gerontology
Background:
- Previous research focused on additive effects of age and work environment on sleep.
- Age x work environment interactions have been understudied in relation to sleep quality and duration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate linear and curvilinear interactions of age with work environment factors.
- To examine the combined influence of aging and workplace characteristics on sleep outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Survey data collected from 901 offshore day-shift personnel.
- Analysis of main effects and interactions between age and work environment measures (job demand, control, social support, physical environment, strenuous work).
Main Results:
- Sleep duration was predicted by a curvilinear age x job demand interaction and an age x social support interaction.
- Sleep quality was significantly affected by the age x job demand interaction.
- Job control and physical environment demonstrated significant additive effects on sleep.
Conclusions:
- Age and work environment characteristics interact to influence sleep impairment in employees.
- Findings emphasize the importance of considering age-related interactions in workplace health strategies.
- Understanding these joint effects is crucial as older workers remain in the workforce.
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