Sleep Duration Mediates Abdominal and Lower-extremity Pain After Night Work in Nurses

Overview

Journal Int Arch Occup Environ Health

Specialty Environmental Health

Date 2018 Nov 13

PMID 30417278

Citations 15

Authors

Maria Katsifaraki

Kristian Bernhard Nilsen

Jan Olav Christensen

Morten Waersted

Stein Knardahl

Bjorn Bjorvatn

Mikko Harma

Dagfinn Matre

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between different working shifts (i.e. morning, evening, night shifts) and headache, musculoskeletal and abdominal pain, and the extent to which reduced sleep duration could account for these associations.

Methods: Nurses (N = 679, 649 female, aged 22-53 years) were followed up for a period of 28 consecutive days, responding to a diary about sleep, shift type and pain complaints (measured on a Likert-type scale ranging from 0 to 3). Generalised structural equation modelling mediation analysis (GSEM) was performed to test whether shift type was associated with higher incidence or higher intensity of pain (headache, pain in neck/shoulders/upper back, upper extremity, low back, lower extremity and abdominal pain), and if this effect was mediated by sleep duration (continuous variable), after controlling for age, work and lifestyle factors.

Results: Pain scores in lower extremities were decreased following night shifts in general. However, when night shifts were followed by short sleep duration, the risk of pain in the lower extremities and abdominal pain were increased. Headache and pain in the upper extremity were increased after night shifts, but were not associated with sleep duration. Pain in the neck/shoulder/upper back and lower back was not related to shift work.

Conclusions: Among nurses in a three-shift rotating schedule, night shifts increased the risk of pain in several regions, but only pain in the lower extremities and abdomen was related to reduced sleep duration.

Citing Articles

Bidirectional relationship between pain and sleep disturbance in middle-aged and older adults: evidence from the China health and retirement longitudinal study.

Yi D, Yang M, Luo Q, Li H, Kong L, Cheng Q Front Psychiatry. 2024; 15:1485822.

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A Narrative Review of the Reciprocal Relationship Between Sleep Deprivation and Chronic Pain: The Role of Oxidative Stress.

Chen S, Xie Y, Liang Z, Lu Y, Wang J, Xing F J Pain Res. 2024; 17:1785-1792.

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The association between proportion of night shifts and musculoskeletal pain and headaches in nurses: a cross-sectional study.

Stavas J, Nilsen K, Matre D BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2024; 25(1):67.

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PMID: 37988046 PMC: 11220573. DOI: 10.1016/j.adaj.2023.09.021.

Consequences of Shift Work and Night Work: A Literature Review.

Silva I, Costa D Healthcare (Basel). 2023; 11(10).

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