• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.73-79
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• 2014

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the burden experienced by nursing personnel working irregular shifts in Greece and to conduct the first test of a Greek version of the Standard Shiftwork Index (SSI). Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out. The SSI was completed by 365 nurses and nursing assistants working shifts, including nights. Results: Female nursing personnel and those suffering from a chronic disease were most affected by working rotating shifts as they had elevated scores on the majority of the SSI scales, such as sleep, chronic fatigue, digestive and cardiovascular problems, general health questionnaire, cognitive and somatic anxiety, shift time satisfaction, engagement and disengagement strategies, languidity, flexibility, and neurotisicm. Nurses with longer working experience and those with family responsibilities also scored higher on some of the SSI scales, such as the sleep, shift time satisfaction, social and domestic disruption, disengagement strategies, morningness, and languidity scales. Conclusion: Shiftwork affects female nurses, those with chronic disease, older age, and domestic responsibilities more severely. Therefore management should take these factors into account when designing work schedules to alleviate the burden caused by shiftwork.

• Proceedings of the Optical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2009.02a
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• pp.455-456
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• 2009

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.254-259
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• 2019

Background: This cross-sectional study assessed the sleep quality using the ActiGraph and investigated the relationship between the parameters of sleep assessment and the type of shift work in Korean firefighters. Methods: The participants were 359 firefighters: 65 day workers (control group) and 294 shift workers (shift work group: 77 firefighters with 3-day shift, 72 firefighters with 6-day shift, 65 firefighters with 9-day shift, and 80 firefighters with 21-day shift). Sleep assessments were performed using the ActiGraph (wGT3X-BT) for 24 hours during day shift (control and shift work group) and night shift and rest day (shift work group). The participants recorded bed time and sleep hours during the measurement period. Results: Sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and percentage of wake after sleep onset during night work were lower in the shift work group than control group (p < 0.05). Sleep efficiency decreased in night shift and increased in rest day, whereas wake after sleep onset increased in night shift and decreased in rest day (p < 0.05). Among shift work groups, sleep efficiency of 6-day shift was higher in day shift, and sleep efficiency of 21-day shift was lower in night shift than other shift groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: We found that the sleep quality in night shift of the shift work group was poorer than the control group. As to the type of shift work, sleep quality was good in 6-day shift and poor in 21-day shift. Thus, fast rotating shift such as 6-day shift may be recommended to improve the sleep quality of the firefighters.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.1-7
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to develop an efficient algorithm for the management of the shift schedule in nuclear power plants in consideration with the ergonomic criteria and the regulatory codes. The ergonomic criteria considered are the work hours, overtime-work frequency and working time, start and finishing time of works, allocation of rest times and duty-offs, rotating of shifts, etc. to comply with the regulations such as the Labor Standard Act, the ILO Convention No. 171, 178, "the detailed content of a periodic safety review," enforcement regulations 19-2 of the Atomic Energy Act. The developed algorithm for the shift schedule program adopts a heuristic method to minimize the difference the workload for shift workers in nuclear power plants.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.476-487
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• 2017

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) based on the mobile social networking service (SNS) on dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, depression, and quality of life among rotatingshift nurses in a hospital in Korea. Methods: A nonequivalent control group pre-post test design was used. The participants included 55 nurses with rotating three-shift work (25 in the experimental group and 30 in the control group). For the experimental group, CBT-I using mobile SNS was provided once a week for 60 minutes over six weeks. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, $x^2-test$, independent samples t-test, and Mann-whitney U test with the SPSS 21.0 program. Results: In the homogeneity test of the general characteristics and study variables, there were no significant differences between the two groups. Nurses in the experimental group had significantly lower scores on dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes regarding sleep and sleepiness than nurses in the control group. Nurses in the experimental group had significantly higher scores on sleep quality and quality of life than nurses in the control group. Conclusion: These findings indicate that using the mobile SNS-based CBT-I is feasible and has significant and positive treatment-related effects on rotating-shift nurses' irrational thoughts and beliefs in association with sleep, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and quality of life. These contribute to expanding our knowledge of rotating-shift nurses' sleep issues and their preferences for intervention.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.27 no.1 s.45
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• pp.74-83
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• 1994

To investigate the sleeping patterns and gastrointestinal disorders of shift workers, the author studied 434 female workers who worked at textile industry ill Taejon city from September 1,1992 to September 31,1992. Shift pattern were divided into 3 categories ; 3 shift(shifts per 8 hours), 2 shift(day and night shift) and day work. The results obtained were as follows : 1 The average sleeping hours when adjusted for the education level of the total study subjects was 6.1 hours. That of 3 shift workers was 6.1 hours, 2 shift workers was 6.0 hours, but that of day workers was 6.5 hours. There were no significant difference among the shift workers. 2. For the 3 shift workers, the average physiologic adjusted duration in day shift (2.2 days) was shorter than that of night shift(2.7 days) and there were significant difference among the rotating shift works (p<0.001). The sleeping problems in day shift was less than those of night shift (p<0.001). 3. 44.9% of 3 shift workers, 39.3% of 2 shift workers and 33.1% of day workers complained gastrointestinal symptoms when adjusted for the age, education level, job tenure, work post. And the rates of gastrointestinal symptoms complained increase with job tenures (p<0.001). 4. The most frequent gastrointestinal diseases were gastitis and gastric ulcer with 14.2% , Irritable bowel syndrome with 3.1 %, duodenitis and duodenal ulcer with 2.1% and combined gastrointestinal disease with 2.1%. Age, eating habit, amount of coffee per day, job tenure, work post and shift pattern showed no significant difference with the gastrointestinal diseases when adjusted for the age. According to the above results, the author suggested that the shift pattern and job tenure can affect to the sleeping problem and gastrointestinal symptoms.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.129-149
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• 1991

Circadian rhythm is entrained in the 24-hour time interval by periodic factors in the environment, known as zeitgeber. But most rotating work schedules are outside the range of the entrainment of the pacemaker timing the human circadian sleep - wake cycle. It has been postulated that physiological and emotional disturbances occur in most human functions when the circadian rhythm is disturbed. So application of circadian principles to the design of shift schedules can aid in maintaining the temporal integrity of the circadian system and thereby minimize for the shift worker any detrimental consequences of circadian disruption. This study was a quasi-experimental study to test the effect of shift intervals for the clinical nurse on the circadian rhythm. Twenty nurses newly employed in general units of two hospitals were selected as an experimental group and twelve college nursing students as a control group. Both groups were selected according to an established criteria using a purposive sampling technique. Ten subjects were assigned to a weekly shift group and another ten to a biweekly shift group engaged in a semi -continuous shift schedule(sunday off) with a backward direction, that is, morning -evening - night shift. The control group worked a morning shift for 42 days. Oral temperature rhythm, waking tim, sleep - wake cycle, fatigue, and mental performance were measured during the experimental period. The data collection period was from April 30, 1990 to June 10, 1990. MANOVA, paired t-test, ANOVA, and Student Newman Keuls method were used for statistical analysis. The results are summarized as follows. 1. Phase delay in the acrophase of temperature rhythm was shown according to the backward rotating shift. A complete adaptation to work on the night shift was achieved between the sixth and ninth day of the night shift. 2. There was no difference in either waking time or sleep- wake cycle according to the duration of the working day for every shift group. Significant difference was found in the waking time and the sleep -wake cycle for subjects on the morning, evening, and night shift in both of the shift groups(weekly shift group : λ＝0.121, p＜0.01, λ＝0.112, p＜0.01, biweekly shift group : λ＝0.116, p＜0.01, λ＝0.084, p＜0.01). 3. There was no difference in fatigue between the first working day and the last working day for the control group and for the biweekly shift group. In the weekly shift group, physical fatigue was significantly different for the first day and the sixth day of the night shift(t＝-2.28, p＜0.05). Physical fatigue and total fatigue on the first day of the night shift showed a significant difference among the control group, the weekly shift group, and the biweekly shift group(F＝5.79, p＜0.01, F＝4.56, p＜0.05). There was a significant difference between the shift groups and the control group(p＜0.05), Physical fatigue, neurosensory fatigue and total fatigue on the last day of the night shift showed a significant difference among the control group, the weekly shift group, and the biweekly shift group(F＝12.65, p＜0.01, F＝7.77, p＜0.01, F＝9.68, p＜0.01). There was a significant difference between the shift groups and the control group(p＜0.05). 4. No difference in mental performance was seen between the first day and the last day of work in each case. An arithmatic test on the first day of the night shift revealed a significant difference among the control group, the weekly shift group, and the biweekly shift group(F＝3.79, p＜0.05). There was a significant difference between the shift groups and the control group(p＜0.05) . The digital symbol substitution test and the arithmetic test on the last day of the night shift showed a significant difference among the control group, the weekly shift group, and the biweekly shift group(F＝3.68, p＜0.05, F＝5.55, p＜0.01), and both showed a significant difference between the shift groups and the control group(p＜0.05). Accordingly, this study showed that during night duty, the waking time, sleep- wake cycle, and fatigue increased and mental performance decreased compared with morning and evening duty. It was also found that the weekly shift group had a higher fatigue score on the sixth day of night duty as compared to the -first day, but the waking time, sleep- wake cycle, and mental performance revealed no difference for the duration of the night duty or between shift groups, and complete adaptation of temperature rhythm was achieved between the sixth and ninth day of night duty. It is possible to conclude from these results that for intermediate circadian type in a healthy young woman, a biweekly shift system is more compatible with the circadian timing system than weekly shift system.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.100-114
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• 1999

This study was done to investigate the effects of rapidly-rotating shift work of two-day interval on fatigue level and the concentration of urinary 17-KS, $Na^+,\;Cl^-$. The subjects were 20 nursing college students(control group) and 15 nurses in a university hospital and the study was done from Apr. 21 to May 4th, 1999. In the test group, each 5 nurses were allocated to day shift(8 AM-4 PM), evening shift(4 PM-12 MN) and night shift(12 MN-8 AM) respectively. The fatigue level were measured 30 minutes after work start on the 2nd day of work shift. Urine specimens were collected at 8 AM, 4 PM and 12 MN on the 2nd day of work shift in the control group and 30 minutes before and after work on the 2nd day of work shift in the test group. The data were analyzed with SPSS(for Window, ver 7.5). Statistical analysis was performed by using t-test, paired t-test and ANOVA. The results were as follows. 1. The perceived fatigue level in shift work 1) The physical and mental fatigue level were significantly higher in night shift than that in day or evening shift(p<0.05). In the neuro-sensory fatigue level, night shift showed higher tendency than that in day or evening shift, but there were no significant differences between each shifts. 2) Comparison between the control group and the test group: Physical fatigue level was significantly higher in night shift than that in day or evening shift of the control group(P<.001). Mental fatigue level was significantly higher in day or night shift than that in evening shift of the control group(P<.05). In the neuro-sensory fatigue level, test group showed higher tendency than that in the control group, but there were no significant differences between two groups. 3) The total fatigue level was higher in night shift than that in day shift or evening shift(P<.05). In comparing with the control group, night shift and day shift showed higher total fatigue level than that in the control group(p<0.05). 2. The concentration of urinary 17-KS, $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ In the control group, urinary 17-KS, $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ showed higher level in afternoon that in morning and night. In the test group, cr in day and evening shift and $Na^+$ in evening shift showed higher level at the end of work. The 17-KS concentration at the begining and the end of work in three shift groups were lower than those in control group(p<0.05), however, $Cl^-$ concentration at the begining of work in day shift, and the end of work in day and evening shift were higher than those in control group(p<0.05). $Cl^-$ concentration at the begining and end of work in night shift were considerably higher than those in control group repectively(p<0.1, p<001). $Na^+$ concentration showed a higher tendency in three shift groups except at the begining of work in night shift, but there were no statistical difference. In comparing concentration of the 17-KS, $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ among the shift groups, 17-KS concentration showed a lower tendency and $Na^+,\;Cl^-$ showed a higher tendency in night shift: The result of this study showes that biorhythm of shift work nurse was irregular. Fatigue level as the subjective index for evaluating the health problem concerning shift work was higher in night shift and proved to be in accordance with the concentration of urinary 17-KS, $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ used as objective indices. Disturbation of biorhythm and work stress due to night shift seems to cause the health problem of nurses and decrease of work efficiency. It is considered that work regualtion is necessary for the rational management of the nursing administration.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.155-163
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• 1998

In order to investigate the effects of rotating shift work on the subjective characteristics of sleep and mental depression questionnaire survey was carried out on 405 shift workers and 153 nonshift workers who were nurses employed. in three university hospital. The questionnaire forms used in this study were the self rating depression scale(SDS) and circadian type questionnaire(CTQ) factor R(rigidity/flexbility of sleeping habit) and factor V(inability/ability to overcome drowsiness). The results were as follows ; 1. Mean score of CTQ R in shift workers was significantly lower than that in nonshift workers, however, no significant difference in CTQ V was observed between two groups. 2. Mean score of SDS was significantly higher in shift workers(44.1) than in nonshift workers(39.8). 3. Mean self rating depression scale scores of pervasive affect, physiologic equivalents and psychological equivalents were significantly higher in shift workers than in nonshift workers. 4. In shift worker, mean SDS score was the highest in confusion and followed by diurnal variation, retardation, and indeciveness in the descending order. In nonshift worker, that score was the highest in decreased libido and followed by confusion, and indeciveness in the descending order. 5. Circadian type questionnaire scores was significantly and negatively correlated with significantly and negatively correlating with Self-rating depression scale scores(r=-0.473).

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.109-116
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the influence of work-life balance and insomnia severity on shift working nurses' health promotion behaviors. Methods: Participants were 152 nurses who worked rotating shifts at a general hospital. Data were collected from August 2 to 16, 2023 and analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS/WIN 25.0. Results: The participants exhibited high insomnia severity and low scores in both work-life balance and health promotion behaviors. Health promotion behaviors were positively correlated with work-life balance but negatively correlated with insomnia severity. The key factors influencing shift-working nurses' health promotion behaviors included work-life balance (β=.37, p<.001) and gender (female) (β=-.17, p=.026), with an explanatoty power of 18% (F=12.35, p<.001). Conclusion: Work-life balance is a significant variable affecting shift-working nurses' health promotion behaviors. The health of nurses is crucial not only for their personal well-being but also for ensuring the patient safety. Therefore, flexible work systems and adaptable health program schedules must be implemented to promote the health of shift-working nurses.