Dados do Trabalho

Título

HOW SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND DISTURBANCE IN THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM AFFECTED HEALTH IN A NURSING GROUP

Introdução

Shift workers don’t have a typical working schedule in the morning and in the afternoon. Their work rhythm represents a risk factor to health and well-being because interferes with circadian rhythms and sleep wake cycle. The most common consequences of this misalignment include decrease in attention, cognitive functions, mood, social and in work, besides health.

Objetivo

This research aims to assess sleep quality and the prevalence of depressive symptoms in shift workers.

Métodos

It is an observational study with cross-sectional design. We evaluated the nursing staff of a hospital in Santa Catarina with a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Beck Depressive Inventory II during their work shift. We analyzed the results using t Student test and chi square with a 5% level of significance.

Resultados

Sixty-four nursing staff members were enrolled in the current study, 32 (50%) were in the morning shift and 32 (50%) in the night shift. Among night shift workers, 59.4% is overweight or obese, 68.8% do not engage in physical activities, 71.9% do not sleep well or has sleep disturbance and only 6.3% shows symptoms for moderate or severe depression.

Conclusões

This study did not show an association between shift work and a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms and did not show a worst quality of sleep in shift workers when compared to daytime workers. The questionnaire used and data collection method can partially explain that. Furthermore, the healthy-worker effect, described by Anders Knutsson, shows that some people tend to adjust to shift work. However, the study showed a higher possibility for overweight and obesity for shift workers and higher tendency to indisposition for daily activities associated with longer sleeping cycles in off work nights.

Palavras-chave

Shift work; Sleep disorders; Circadian Rhythm; Depression; Nursing.