Objectives: This study aimed at studying the effects of shiftwork health and well-being in nurses working in Benha University Hospitals.
Background: About one-fourth of hospital workers work in shift system. Nurses constitute a considerable proportion of these. Shiftwork and work-related stress have been linked to negative effects on workers‘ health and safety. However, the studies in the area of shiftwork and related health hazards especially among nurses are limited
Methods: This cross-sectional study targeted all nurses staff working in Benha University Hospitals, Qualubeyia Governorate, Egypt, over the period between the beginning of January 2014 to the end of January 2015. The nurses completed the Shiftwork Standard Index SSI questionnaire and had physical examination including measuring blood pressure to assess the cardiovascular condition and vital signs specially pulse to assess the presence of any irregularity or arrhythmias, body weight, height and Body Mass Index (BMI) to assess obesity. Also, a random blood sugar level was measured.
Results: The study recruited 803 nurses, all of them were females, 43% aged >40 years with mean duration in shiftwork 18.99 years. Most of nurses were married. The surgical departments‘ nurses had significant higher BMI and digestive and Languidiness scores than medical departments‘ nurses. Both DBP and SBP were higher in married nurses who had dependent households. Nurses who had been working for ≤40 hours/week in night and afternoon shifts had significant higher sleep disturbance score. The cardiovascular score was significantly higher among nurses aged ≥40 years, and who worked in the shift system for 20-40 years, there were significant positive correlations between DBP and the number of household persons, and between cardiovascular problems and age and work duration in shift system.
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Conclusions: Shiftwork was associated with a number of health hazards, which mandated guidelines to protect nurses from the negative impact of shiftwork. |
