Background and aims: In Italy 60% of hospital employeesare engaged in shiftwork. Sleepiness in hospital physiciancan be a risk factor for decreased cognitive performance,leading to potential increase of risk of medical errors. So farno studies had investigated this issue in Italian physicians.The objective of our multicenter study is to assess theprevalence and the determinants of somnolence in a cohort of Italian hospital physicians. Methods: 196 physicians were recruited. Participants filled two questionnaires: the AIMS “questionnaire for theevaluation of alertness for the occupational medicine”,investigating sleep habits and disturbances, shift workingroutine, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) for somnolence. With non parametric tests we explored theassociation between personal characteristics, history of nightshift work and ESS. Results: The population was composed for 62% of females, mean age 46.9 years (SD 11.1). All participants had been working 2-4 nightshifts/month, no fixed rotation scheme, with an average 35 nights/year (SD 12.1). The prevalent chronotype was intermediate (58%); 19% were larks, 23% owl chronotype. Being older than 50, overweight, and having a lark chronotype were significantly associated with an increase in the ESS score (p<0.001), A history of 15 or more years of nightshift work engagement was also more likely to result in a higher ESS score (p=0.04). Conclusion: Our results might provide clues useful for thedefinition of selection criteria for fitness to nightshift work and design shiftwork schedules, in order to reduce its impact on the performances and health of hospital physicians
Prevalence of sleep disorders and determinants of sleepiness in a multicentric cohort of italian physicians
R. LeccaPrimo
;M. Figorilli;G. Gioi;P. Congiu;P. Cocco;M. M. F. Puligheddu
2020-01-01
Abstract
Background and aims: In Italy 60% of hospital employeesare engaged in shiftwork. Sleepiness in hospital physiciancan be a risk factor for decreased cognitive performance,leading to potential increase of risk of medical errors. So farno studies had investigated this issue in Italian physicians.The objective of our multicenter study is to assess theprevalence and the determinants of somnolence in a cohort of Italian hospital physicians. Methods: 196 physicians were recruited. Participants filled two questionnaires: the AIMS “questionnaire for theevaluation of alertness for the occupational medicine”,investigating sleep habits and disturbances, shift workingroutine, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) for somnolence. With non parametric tests we explored theassociation between personal characteristics, history of nightshift work and ESS. Results: The population was composed for 62% of females, mean age 46.9 years (SD 11.1). All participants had been working 2-4 nightshifts/month, no fixed rotation scheme, with an average 35 nights/year (SD 12.1). The prevalent chronotype was intermediate (58%); 19% were larks, 23% owl chronotype. Being older than 50, overweight, and having a lark chronotype were significantly associated with an increase in the ESS score (p<0.001), A history of 15 or more years of nightshift work engagement was also more likely to result in a higher ESS score (p=0.04). Conclusion: Our results might provide clues useful for thedefinition of selection criteria for fitness to nightshift work and design shiftwork schedules, in order to reduce its impact on the performances and health of hospital physicians
I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
