title: Main and interactive effects of shiftwork, age and work stress on health in an Italian sample of healthcare workers.
abstract: Among healthcare workers, shiftwork (mostly if nightwork is also included), ageing and work-related stress may be factors leading to impaired health. Such risk factors may also operate in interaction, resulting in an even increased harm for health. The present study aims at evaluating these relationships in a sample of 1842 hospital workers in Northern Italy. Subjects were mainly women, 33.1% were aged > or = 45 yr, and they were almost evenly distributed between dayworkers and rotating shiftworkers (nights included). Shiftwork was associated with poor sleep, while it was protective against gastrointestinal disorders, poor work ability and job dissatisfaction. Work stress was the risk factor with the highest relevance for poor health. Ageing was associated with lower physical health. Few significant interactions were observed. Shiftwork with nights and high work stress significantly interacted in increasing the risk for poor sleep. The "healthy worker effect" may have played a strong role in study findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health, University of Milan, via San Barnaba 8, 20122 Milan, Italy. paul.conway@unimi.it <paul.conway@unimi.it>
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Conway
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Campanini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dotti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009726:Nurses; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D020178:Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm / Q000453:epidemiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance / Q000523:psychology*; D017132:Workplace