Psychosocial Risk Factors at Work and Sleep Quality in Healthcare Workers - A Cross-Sectional Study

Sleep Sci. 2024 Apr 9;17(4):e370-e380. doi: 10.1055/s-0044-1782172. eCollection 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Objective To investigate psychosocial factors at work, sleep characteristics, and the correlation between these aspects in healthcare workers. Material and methods A cross-sectional e-survey study was conducted with 125 workers of the Brazilian healthcare system, mostly from the Southeast region, from June 2021 to April 2022. Self-administered questionnaires in Google Forms were used to collect data on personal and occupational characteristics, psychosocial factors (Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire), and sleep quality (Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index). Descriptive statistics and a point biserial correlation test were performed. Results The most reported factors in the risk zone were burnout (86%), stress (81%), emotional demands (75%), work pace (61%), and work-family conflicts (55%). Most participants were classified as poor sleepers (74%), especially nursing technicians/assistants (86%). Burnout (r pb = 0.33) and inadequate predictability (r pb = 0.30) were associated with poor sleep quality. Conclusion Intervention strategies to decrease burnout and increase predictability at work may assist in improving sleep quality among healthcare workers.

Keywords: healthcare workers; occupational health; occupational risks; pyschosocial factors; sleep; working conditions.

Grants and funding

Funding Source This research was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo - FAPESP, Brazil (grant numbers 2020/10098-1 and 2020/08261-1)