Effects of age and domestic commitment on the sleep and alertness of female shiftworkers

In this study, the combined effects of age and domestic commitment on sleep duration, sleep difficulties and alertness in a sample of female shiftworkers were studied. A total of 572 nurses working in general hospitals in England completed a questionnaire. Two main shift systems were worked by the n...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Work and stress 1995-04, Vol.9 (2-3), p.165-175
Main Authors: Spelten, Evelien, Totterdell, Peter, Barton, Jane, Folkard, Simon
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Alertness
Biological and medical sciences
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Health and social institutions
Health participants
Medical sciences
Occupational psychology
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Shiftwork
Sleep
Women
Work condition. Job performance. Stress
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Summary:In this study, the combined effects of age and domestic commitment on sleep duration, sleep difficulties and alertness in a sample of female shiftworkers were studied. A total of 572 nurses working in general hospitals in England completed a questionnaire. Two main shift systems were worked by the nurses: permanent nights or rotating shifts. Initial analysis revealed significant differences between these two groups of nurses, resulting in separate analysis of each group. Regression analysis showed that although older nurses had shorter sleep duration they did not report more sleep difficulties, in addition, their overall on-shift alertness was higher compared to younger nurses. Domestic commitment, defined as the number of dependants in the household and the level of perceived work-home conflict, not only reduced sleep duration, but also resulted in more sleep difficulties and lower on-shift alertness for most of the shifts. Two implications with regards to the relationship between age and sleep are discussed. First, the study points to the relevance of considering both biological and social factors when looking at age and sleep. Secondly, the study shows that the effects of age on sleep duration and sleep difficulties are not similar. This finding requires further research, especially in the light of the higher levels of alertness reported by older nurses.
ISSN:0267-8373
1464-5335
DOI:10.1080/02678379508256551