Efficacy and Adherence to a Supervised Aerobic Exercise Training Intervention in Night-Shift Hospital Nurses: A...

Area of Science:

• Exercise physiology
• Occupational health
• Cardiometabolic health

Background:

• Shift work, particularly night shifts, is associated with adverse health outcomes, including increased cardiometabolic disease risk.
• Structured exercise interventions are limited in shift-working populations, highlighting a gap in preventative health strategies.
• Nurses working night shifts face unique challenges that may impact their physical activity levels and overall health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a 12-week supervised aerobic exercise program on cardiometabolic risk, body composition, aerobic fitness, and muscle power in night shift-working nurses.
• To explore the feasibility and adherence of a structured exercise intervention within this specific occupational group.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 26 physically inactive, night shift-working acute care nurses.
• Participants were randomized into a 12-week aerobic exercise (EX) group or a wait-list control (CON) group.
• The EX group engaged in supervised progressive aerobic exercise (cycle ergometer and treadmill) three days per week.

Main Results:

• The exercise intervention was highly feasible, with participants completing 96.2% of prescribed sessions within the target heart rate range.
• No significant between-group differences were observed in cardiometabolic risk factors, body composition, physical activity levels, muscle strength, or muscle power.
• Aerobic exercise significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) in the EX group compared to the CON group.

Conclusions:

• Structured, supervised aerobic exercise, consistent with recommended guidelines, is an attainable and effective strategy for improving cardiorespiratory fitness in night shift-working acute care nurses.
• The findings support the implementation and further investigation of physical activity interventions in this under-studied occupational group.
• While cardiometabolic risk factors did not significantly change, the improvement in fitness suggests potential long-term benefits for this population.