EFFECT OF SHIFT SCHEDULE ON FIREFIGHTERS’ SLEEP QUALITY AND QUANTITY

Authors

Jackson B. Miller, University of KentuckyFollow
Emily Watkins, University of RoehamptonFollow
Sarah N. Lanham, University of KentuckyFollow
Jamal L. Thruston, University of KentuckyFollow
Margaret A. Lewis, University of KentuckyFollow
Susannah L. Reiner, University of KentuckyFollow
Abigayle R. Spong, University of KentuckyFollow
Mark R. Mason, University of KentuckyFollow
Emily L. Langford, University of MontevalloFollow
Mark G. Abel, University of KentuckyFollow

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Obtaining adequate amounts of sleep is critical for optimal health and physical performance. Firefighters’ sleep patterns are often disrupted due to emergency responses. Fire agencies utilize a variety of shift schedule configurations. Unfortunately, there is a lack of research investigating the impact of shift schedules on firefighters’ sleep quality and quantity. Evaluating sleep outcomes by shift schedule will guide fire agencies in implementing appropriate on-duty interventions (eg, scheduled napping, sleep hygiene education) and guide work schedule configuration. Therefore the purpose of this proposed study is to descriptively compare sleep quantity and quality outcomes between fire agencies utilizing different shift schedules. METHODS: An international sample of fire departments utilizing different shift schedules and a control group composed of law enforcement officers working day shift will be recruited to participate in this study. The firefighter shift schedules will include 24/48 (24 hr on-duty, 48 hr off-duty), 48/96 (48 hr on-duty, 96 hr off-duty), Swing Shift (SS; 2 day shifts (10 hr), 2 night shifts (10 hr), 4 days off; n=50), and a control group including a police department day-shift (10 hr) schedule. Demographic data will include sex, age, occupational experience, second job status, call characteristics, use of sleep medication and alcohol use, exercise level, body mass index, sleeping conditions, smoking status, caffeine intake, and diagnosed sleep disorders. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) will be utilized to assess sleep outcomes. Specifically, 7 components of sleep outcomes will be scored on a 0-3 scale (aggregate range: 0 (“no difficulty”) to 21 (“severe difficulty”)) including subjective sleep quality, latency, duration, efficiency, disturbances, medication use, and daytime dysfunction. An electronic survey will be distributed via agency listserv. Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA will be used to compare PSQI outcomes between shift schedule cohorts, utilizing covariates as necessary. Post-hoc analyses will be conducted using pairwise Mann-Whitney tests with Bonferroni correction. ANTICIPATED RESULTS: It is hypothesized that firefighters will report inferior sleep outcomes compared to non-shift workers and that the SS schedule will yield inferior sleep outcomes compared to other firefighter shift configurations potentially due to greater circadian rhythm disruption.

Recommended Citation

Miller, Jackson B.; Watkins, Emily; Lanham, Sarah N.; Thruston, Jamal L.; Lewis, Margaret A.; Reiner, Susannah L.; Spong, Abigayle R.; Mason, Mark R.; Langford, Emily L.; and Abel, Mark G. (2024) "EFFECT OF SHIFT SCHEDULE ON FIREFIGHTERS’ SLEEP QUALITY AND QUANTITY," International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 16: Iss. 3, Article 22.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol16/iss3/22