Sleep disorders in correctional officers: cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Sleep Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Poor sleep poses risks for correctional officers due to demanding work environments.
• Maintaining security and prompt decision-making are critical in correctional facilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of severe sleep disorders among correctional officers.
• To identify factors associated with severe sleep disorders in this population.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory cross-sectional study involving 374 correctional officers in Salvador, Brazil.
• Data collected via self-administered questionnaire on sleep quality, sociodemographics, work, lifestyle, and mental health.
• Severe sleep disorder defined by Mini Sleep Questionnaire score (≥31); associations analyzed using Cox regression.

Main Results:

• Prevalence of severe sleep disorders was 55.3% among correctional officers.
• Associated factors included high work stress (PR≥1.17), workplace violence (PR≥1.11), common mental disorders (PR=2.24), and non-White skin color (PR=1.37).

Conclusions:

• High prevalence of severe sleep disorders necessitates targeted interventions for correctional officers.
• Workplace stress, violence, mental health, and skin color are significant associated factors.
• Health care planning for correctional officers must address these identified risk factors.