Safety and Health at Work

Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (산업안전보건연구원)
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Association of Amplitude and Stability of Circadian Rhythm, Sleep Quality, and Occupational Stress with Sickness Absence among a Gas Company Employees-A Cross Sectional Study from Iran

  • Zare, Rezvan (Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences) ;
  • Choobineh, Alireza (Research Center for Health Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences) ;
  • Keshavarzi, Sareh (Department of Epidemiology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences)
  • Received : 2016.04.30
  • Accepted : 2016.09.29
  • Published : 2017.09.30
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Abstract

Background: The present study was carried out to assess the relationship between sickness absence and occupational stress, sleep quality, and amplitude and stability of circadian rhythm as well as to determine contributing factors of sickness absence. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 400 randomly selected employees of an Iranian gas company. The data were collected using Pittsburgh sleep quality index, Karolinska sleepiness scale, circadian type inventory, and Osipow occupational stress questionnaires. Results: The mean age and job tenure of the participants were $33.18{\pm}5.64years$ and $6.06{\pm}4.99years$, respectively. Also, the participants had been absent from work on average 2.16 days a year. According to the results, 209 participants had no absences, 129 participants had short-term absences, and 62 participants had long-term absences. The results showed a significant relationship between short-term absenteeism and amplitude of circadian rhythm [odds ratio (OR) = 6.13], sleep quality (OR = 14.46), sleepiness (OR = 2.08), role boundary (OR = 6.45), and responsibility (OR = 5.23). Long-term absenteeism was also significantly associated with amplitude of circadian rhythm (OR = 2.42), sleep quality (OR = 21.56), sleepiness (OR = 6.44), role overload (OR = 4.84), role boundary (OR = 4.27), and responsibility (OR = 3.72). Conclusion: The results revealed that poor sleep quality, amplitude of circadian rhythm, and occupational stress were the contributing factors for sickness absence in the study population.

Keywords

References

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