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Abstract This study delved into the complex effects of work schedules on the well-being of healthcare professionals, spotlighting Nigeria’s medical landscape. A diverse cohort of 387 participants, spanning doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and laboratory technicians or scientists, formed the research base, with the majority being women (67.7%), with a mean age of 34.67 years. Professionals self-reported their predominant schedules to gauge work patterns, classifying them as day or night shifts. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) tool assessed the quality of life across the physical, psychological, social relationship, and environmental domains. Psychological distress was measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS), and perceived social support was evaluated via the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). A cross-sectional design was adopted, and the study employed moderated mediation analysis using SmartPLS 4.0. The results underscored the significant ramifications of night shifts on environmental and physical well-being. Psychological health and social relationships were better among day shift than night shift workers. There was a pronounced correlation between night shifts and heightened levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. The mediating role of psychological distress and the moderating influence of social support in these relationships were evident. This study offers invaluable insights into the role of work schedules in shaping the well-being of healthcare professionals, emphasising the protective role of social support and the unique challenges faced by migrant health workers.

Introduction and Purpose Shift work, essential for continuous operation in industries like healthcare, transportation, and security, disrupts circadian rhythms and adversely affects health. This review consolidates findings on the multifaceted impacts of night shift work, emphasizing interventions to mitigate these effects and improve worker health and well-being. Brief Description of the State of Knowledge Night shift work disrupts circadian rhythms, leading to cognitive decline, sleep disorders, mental health risks, cardiovascular issues, metabolic disturbances, and cancer susceptibility. Effective interventions include limiting shift lengths and frequency, incorporating rest breaks and napping, aligning meal times with circadian rhythms, using melatonin supplementation and light therapy to improve sleep quality, engaging in regular aerobic exercise, and employing stress management techniques. Summary Implementing proposed interventions can mitigate the adverse health effects of night shift work, enhancing worker well-being, efficiency, and job satisfaction. Tailoring strategies to different age groups optimizes effectiveness, with structured approaches beneficial for older workers and flexible options suitable for younger workers. Further research should explore long-term intervention effects and develop personalized strategies for diverse populations. This review provides comprehensive guidelines for managing the health impacts of night shift work, supporting improved patient safety, reduced accidents, and enhanced work performance across various industries.

This study aimed to determine the associations between engineers’ perceptions of participative decision-making and autonomy, and their creative performance. The study utilised a paired match-up technique, with engineers and managers as respondents. Managers were responsible for assessing engineers’ creative performance. Due to the study match-up design, questionnaires measuring participative decision-making, autonomy, and creative performance were distributed to the electrical and electronic manufacturing firms. SmartPLS software was used to analyse the hypothesised relationships. The results indicated that engineers’ participative decision-making significantly predicted autonomy dimensions (work schedule, work criterion, and work method). Engineers’ autonomy regarding work schedule, work criterion, and work method had no positive relationship with creative performance. The results showed that engineers’ work schedule, work criterion, and work method negatively mediated the relationships between participative decision-making and creative performance. The findings indicated an insignificant direct effect and negative mediation of engineers’ work schedule, work criterion, and work method on creative performance, pointing to the structured nature of work. This situation leaves engineers with minimal opportunity to determine the work designs, time allocations, and multicriteria of job descriptions. The study recommends potential directions for studying the improvement of engineers’ creative performance in future studies.

Abstract Background The study aimed to investigate the relationship between different work schedules and self-reported working conditions and health risk behaviours among nurses and nurse assistants (NNA) in France. It hypothesized that work schedules, particularly long shifts, could impact work-life balance, workload, stress levels, burnout, and smoking habits. NNA had the option to work either with a 7-hour schedule, 5 days per week, or with long work schedules consisting of ten to twelve-hour shifts, three days per week. These schedules could potentially influence various aspects of their professional lives. Methods The survey followed the guidelines of the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement and was administered to NNA working in public and private national healthcare facilities in France. The researchers used the Job Content Questionnaire to assess the work environment and the French version of the 22-item Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) scale to measure burnout. Results A total of 3,133 NNA participated in the study, including 2,369 nurses (75.6%) and 764 nurse assistants (24.4%). Among them, 1,811 individuals (57.8%) followed a 7-hour work schedule, while 1,322 individuals (42.2%) had a long work schedule. Multivariate analyses revealed that NNA working with long schedules reported higher psychological demands, more frequent burnout, a higher number of daily smoked cigarettes, and greater coffee consumption. These findings were independent of other factors such as sector of employment, type of healthcare facility, job status, work schedules, night shifts, department specialty, age, and family responsibilities. Conclusions While some NNA may choose long schedules to have more days off, those working with these schedules experience greater work-related burdens and engage in worse health risk behaviours as a coping mechanism. It emphasizes the importance of considering health-promoting work schedules to address the high psychological demands and burnout experienced by NNA with long schedules. Implementing changes in work schedules could potentially improve the overall well-being and job satisfaction of these healthcare professionals.

BackgroundShift work is generally associated with working and sleeping out of phase with the endogenous, circadian sleep–wake cycle. This exerts detrimental effects on sleep health. The present study aimed at evaluating the presence of short and long sleep as well as sleep disorders within a broad range of shift work schedules and elucidating the role of sociodemographic factors therein.MethodsA large dataset containing information on sleep was collected through advertisement in a Belgium newspaper (De Standaard). Adult, working individuals were selected (n = 37,662) and categorized based on their work schedule (regular day, early morning, evening, night, and rotating shift). In this cross-sectional study, prevalence rates of short sleep (≤6 h), long sleep (≥9 h) and sleep disorders (screened with Holland Sleep Disorders Questionnaire), and associations between these sleep variables and sociodemographics (age, sex, education, living companion(s)) were analyzed using binominal logistic regression analyses.ResultsIn the total sample all sociodemographic factors affected prevalences of short, long and disordered sleep, consistent with previous studies. Compared to day workers, shift workers more frequently reported short sleep, most prominently night workers (26 vs. 50%) (p

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin D deficiency on metabolic syndrome among shift workers. METHODS: This study included 207 756 workers who underwent a comprehensive health examination at a large South Korean university hospital between 2012 and 2018. We performed multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analysis and analyzed mediation and exposure-mediator interaction. RESULTS: Overall, 5.5% of the participants had metabolic syndrome. Compared to day work, the odds ratios (OR) of metabolic syndrome and vitamin D deficiency (

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the effects of various aspects of night and shift work on the risk of incident ischemic heart disease (IHD) and atrial fibrillation (AF) using detailed and registry-based exposure data. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included >30 300 healthcare employees (eg, nurses, nursing assistants) employed for at least one year in Region Stockholm 2008–2016. Information on daily working hours was obtained from a computerized administrative employee register and outcomes from national and regional registers. Using discrete-time proportional hazard models, we analyzed the outcomes as functions of working hour characteristics the preceding year, adjusted for sex, age, country of birth, education, and profession. RESULTS: We observed 223 cases of IHD and 281 cases of AF during follow-up 2009–2016. The risk of IHD was increased among employees who the preceding year had permanent night shifts compared to those with permanent day work [hazard ratio (HR) 1.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06–2.43] and among employees working night shifts >120 times per year compared to those who never worked night (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.05–2.21). When restricted to non-night workers, the risk of IHD was increased for employees having frequent quick returns from afternoon shifts. No increased risks were observed for AF. CONCLUSIONS: Night work, especially working permanent night shifts and frequent night shifts, is associated with an increased risk of incident IHD but not AF. Moreover, frequent quick returns from afternoon shifts (among non-night workers) increased IHD risk. Organizing work schedules to minimize these exposures may reduce IHD risk.

Abstract Background Retention of human resources in the healthcare system, particularly doctors at district level is a great challenge faced by the decentralized health systems in poorly resourced countries. Medical Officers of Health (MOH), medical doctors who provide preventive health services, are a particularly important human resource in the preventive health sector in Sri Lanka. This study explores the relative importance of different factors affecting the retention of MOHs in the preventive health sector of Sri Lanka. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among Medical Officers of Health in the Colombo district with 18 MOH Offices with 74 medical officers. A pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was used as the study instrument. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analyses. Results Of the 74 medical officers 64 responded with a response rate of response rate of 86.5%. Regression analysis showed that all four variables; recognition, work schedule, remuneration and responsibility are positively and significantly correlated with retention of Medical Officers of Health in the preventive health sector. The variable ‘work schedule’ showed the highest impact on the retention of Medical Officers of Health. Conclusions In order to retain trained Medical Officers of Health in the Sri Lankan preventive health sector, health authorities should address the factors identified in this study. If policymakers fail to address these factors, preventive health services will face negative implications due to the shortage of key service providers.

Abstract Background Although breastfeeding-friendly workplaces are provided to promote an employed mother’s breastfeeding intention, few studies have explored breastfeeding intentions and behavior after a mother returns to work on a shift work or non-shift work schedule. To explore the impact of breastfeeding-friendly support on the intention of working mothers with different work schedules to continue breastfeeding, we conducted a survey at a female labor-intensive electronics manufacturer in Taiwan from August 2011 to April 2012. Methods Female workers who met the inclusion criteria (maternity leave between January 2009 and January 2011) were invited to participate in the survey. A structured questionnaire survey was administered to 715 working mothers employed at an electronics manufacturing plant in Tainan Science Park in Southern Taiwan. The questionnaire content included female employee demographic characteristics, employment characteristics, continued breastfeeding behavior after returning to work, access to lactation rooms, and employee perception of the breastfeeding policy and support when raising their most recently born child. Results A total of 715 employed mothers’ data were collected. Of the shift workers, 90.1% breastfed during maternity leave, but the breastfeeding rates after returning to work decreased to 21.5% for one to six months and 17.9% for more than six months. Of the non-shift workers, 87.6% breastfed during maternity leave and the breastfeeding rates after returning to work were 24.1% for one to six months and 34.6% for more than six months. Using a lactation room and taking advantage of breast-pumping breaks were significant factors for continuing to breastfeed one to six months after returning to work and more than six months after returning to work among shift workers and non-shift workers. In addition, among non-shift workers, a higher education level of the mother (odds ratio (OR) = 9.57) and partner support (OR = 4.89) had positive effects toward a mother continuing breastfeeding for more than six months after returning to work. Conclusions Workplaces or employers should provide more support to encourage employed mothers to take advantage of the breastfeeding room and breast-pumping breaks, enhance the frequency of the usage of lactation rooms, and increase the rate of continued breastfeeding.

Relevance of the research topic. People are the most stable social elements of society and country, bearers of its traditions and experience. It is these cadres that retain their qualities even as the socio-political structure changes, the state structure changes. The dynamic process of the development of the world at the end of the last century at the beginning of this century led to a wave of modernization of management and measures to increase its efficiency. At the heart of this process is the reform of the personnel mechanism and the management of the process of mobility within the organization. An organization is a group of people whose activities are consciously coordinated to achieve one or more common goals. In the process of managing the flow of people in an organization, as a function of managing an administrative body, general ones are singled out and systematic administrative management is provided. Formulation of the problem. The concept of employee mobility in business is inherent, and not vice versa: employees take a job, work, adapt to working conditions or quit and look for another job. Therefore, the phenomenon of staff turnover is a process that enterprises must deal with. We will look at mobility issues and develop a recommendation system to solve existing problems. Analysis of recent studies and publications, which started solving this problem. Quite a lot of work is devoted to the problem of staff turnover, M. Armstrong, L. Balabanova, S. Katsalap, A. Fayol, E. Mayo, A. Sardak, V. Shapovalov, N. Savrukov, R. Bennett and others dealt with this problem. Task and research methodology. The peculiarities of the influence of the institutions of personnel management of an enterprise on solving the problem of personnel mobility caused by an increase in international labor migration are studied. The most typical causes of fluidity are identified. The role of the agency for personnel management in decision-making is determined. Conclusions in accordance with the article. This article notes that the problem of staff turnover in an enterprise is very relevant. A list of problems and proposals for their solution are presented. The practical application of these recommendations will reduce staff turnover, thereby improving the working conditions of workers, and hence the activities of enterprises.

The increased digitalization of activities in recent years has induced to a significant evolution of situations in which work is performed remotely. Beyond the benefits, a number of risks can be identified, and among them are the aspects regarding the evidence and management of working time. Law no. 81/2018 on telework activity is definitely adequate in many aspects. But, also, it contains issues that can be improved regarding: the risk of setting up restrictive conditions in the internal regulations concerning the establishment of the work schedule or the verification of the activity of teleworkers by union representatives, concrete regulations on working time records, protection against excessive fragmentation of working time, the fair balance between the professional and private life of the teleworker (is not enough taken into account), the right to disconnect (is not settled) etc.

Abstract Background Non-standard work schedules (NSWSs), occurring outside of regular and predictable daytime hours, may negatively affect worker and family health. This qualitative study sought to understand worker perspectives on the health and well-being impacts of NSWSs among full-time, transportation maintainers, correctional, and manufacturing workers. Methods Forty-nine workers participated in 8 focus groups. Data were transcribed and analyzed with ATLAS.ti, using the constant comparative method to identify themes and sub-themes. Results Workers reported that long work hours and irregular and unpredictable schedules posed the biggest obstacles to their well-being. Workers reported that NSWSs were associated with behavior impacts (poor family and social connections, poor eating, poor sleep, lack of exercise recovery), physical health impacts (exhaustion, weight gain) and extended work exposures (increased stress, increased accidents). Conclusions This highlights the importance of developing and implementing effective workplace interventions to address these barriers to health and health behaviors.

The adverse effects of work schedule on driving performance are relatively common. Therefore, it is necessary to fully understand an organisation’s safety culture to improve driver performance in order to avoid road crashes. This study aims to investigate the moderating role of safety culture in the relationship between driver work schedules and driving performance. The study developed a conceptual framework based on the literature review of existing studies, which is supported by situation awareness theory that explains the model’s relationships and supports the study’s hypotheses. Three hundred four questionnaires were collected from oil and gas truck drivers then Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to test the study hypotheses. Derived from the findings, the outer loading for all items was above the threshold of 0.70 unless two items were deleted. The latent exogenous variables of safety culture and work schedule explained 59.1% of driving performance. Besides, work schedule and safety culture significantly impact driving performance. In addition, the results show that safety culture moderates the unfavourable work schedule impact on driving performance with an effect size of 23%. Therefore, this study showed strong evidence that safety culture acts as a critical moderator in reducing the negative impact of work schedule on driving performance in the energy transportation sector. Drivers with high safety culture can manage and reduce the effect of work schedule disorder on driving performance through their safety attitude and patterns compared to those drivers with low safety culture. Consequently, the improvement in driving performance will be noticed among drivers with a high awareness of safety culture.

Background: The female nurse exhibits a multitude of personal and environmental characteristics that renders this population especially prone to fatigue. The consequences of fatigue in nurses are widespread and impactful at the personal, organizational, and societal levels. These include high injury rates and burnout in the nurse and poor patient and organizational outcomes. Objective: This article discusses the implications of fatigue in female nurses, including the impacts of fatigue across multiple entities (e.g., worker, patient, organization). It also reviews the current state of the research, including recent work on nurse fatigue and work schedule characteristics, and key areas for future work that would help empirically establish approaches to counter the detrimental and widespread effects of fatigue. Method: A narrative literature review was conducted resulting from an analysis of the literature limited to peer-reviewed studies. Results: A confluence of factors combines to elevate the prevalence and risk of fatigue in the female nurse. Numerous measures have established that performance-based fatigue results from nursing work schedules in nurses. Data also demonstrate that fatigue accumulates across successive shifts. Recent evidence supports the use of objective fatigue measures, including psychomotor reaction time and muscle function-related variables. Current gaps in the literature are delineated in the text. Conclusions: Strategic and well-designed research studies, as well as recent technological advances in fatigue tracking tools have the potential to help workers, administrators, and organizations develop fatigue management programs that could reduce the heavy burdens of fatigue on a multitude of health, safety, and economical outcomes.

Abstract Background Working hour regulation in Korea is being revised to allow increasing variability in number of working hours. We sought to investigate the association between variability in the number of daily or weekly working hours with or without long working hours (> 52 h/w) and mental health among South Korean workers. Methods We used data from 28,345 full-time, non-shift employed workers working more than 30 h per week participating in the Korean Working Condition Survey in 2017. We defined six groups according to variability in daily or weekly working hours (same number vs different number) and weekly working hours (31–40, 41–52, > 52 h per week). Odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) for self-reported depressive symptoms and anxiety were calculated using workers with same number of working hours/31–40 h per week as the reference. Results Variability in number of work hours every day or week combined with > 52 working hours per week showed the highest risk of depressive symptoms (OR = 5.13, 95% CI 3.25–8.11) and anxiety (OR = 3.75, 95% CI 2.39–5.88) compared to the reference group, controlling for age, sex, education, occupation, industry, salary, workers’ choice of working hours and overtime payment. Workers working ≤52 h/w were adversely impacted by variable working hours as well. Conclusions Variable daily or weekly working hours were associated with poorer self-reported depressive and anxiety symptoms in Korea, among full-time and non-shift workers. Reform of the Korean Labor Standards Act warrants consideration.

Background: Rotating shift work refers to a way of organizing daily working hours in which different persons or teams work in succession to cover more than the usual 8 h per day, up to and including the whole 24 h. Studies have been conducted for examining the effects of rotating shifts on an employee's performance and well-being. Hence, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of rotating shift work, sleep, and accidents related to sleepiness in doctors. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on doctors of a Tertiary Care Hospital. A close-ended questionnaire containing 25 questions was distributed to doctors (residents and interns) who worked rotating shifts. Questions presented were regarding sleep disturbances, sleeping aids or countermeasures to get to sleep; and accidents or errors in the past year including automobile accidents and medical and procedural errors that the doctors had reported to have occurred because of sleepiness due to rotating shifts. The data collected were analyzed by SPSS version 21 (SPSS statistics IBM Corporation). Results: Doctors reporting to night shifts suffered from decreased and disturbed sleep, irritability, fatigue, and poor reflexes. According to our study, almost all the subjects suffered from poor work and sleep quality due to their changing work shifts. Conclusion: Rotating work shifts have a direct effect on workability and quality and amount of sleep in doctors.

Background: Cognitive impairment is a public health burden. Our objective was to investigate associations between work hours and cognitive function. Methods: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) participants (n = 2,497; 50.7% men; age range 44–84 years) reported hours per week worked in all jobs in Exams 1 (2000–2002), 2 (2002–2004), 3 (2004–2005), and 5 (2010–2011). Cognitive function was assessed (Exam 5) using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (version 2), a measure of global cognitive functioning; the Digit Symbol Coding, a measure of processing speed; and the Digit Span test, a measure of attention and working memory. We used a prospective approach and linear regression to assess associations for every 10 hours of work. Results: Among all participants, associations of hours worked with cognitive function of any type were not statistically significant. In occupation-stratified analyses (interaction p = 0.051), longer work hours were associated with poorer global cognitive function among Sales/Office and blue-collar workers, after adjustment for age, sex, physical activity, body mass index, race/ethnicity, educational level, annual income, history of heart attack, diabetes, apolipoprotein E-epsilon 4 allele (ApoE4) status, birth-place, number of years in the United States, language spoken at MESA Exam 1, and work hours at Exam 5 (β = –0.55, 95% CI = –0.99, –0.09) and (β = –0.80, –1.51, –0.09), respectively. In occupation-stratified analyses (interaction p = 0.040), we also observed an inverse association with processing speed among blue-collar workers (adjusted β = –0.80, –1.52, –0.07). Sex, race/ethnicity, and ApoE4 did not significantly modify associations between work hours and cognitive function. Conclusion: Weak inverse associations were observed between work hours and cognitive function among Sales/Office and blue-collar workers.

OBJECTIVES: Shift work is a risk factor for chronic diseases, and physical inactivity can have an influence on this association. We examined whether intra-individual changes in working time characteristics were associated with changes in physical inactivity and examined the risk factors for physical inactivity among shift workers in a 17-year longitudinal study cohort. METHODS: Study participants were 95 177 employees from the Finnish public sector. Work schedule information was based on questionnaire responses and additional register-based working time characteristics for 26 042 employees. The associations between working time characteristics and physical inactivity were examined using a fixed-effects logistic model. To investigate the risk factors for physical inactivity among shift workers, the odds ratios (OR) of worktime control and having small children were calculated. RESULTS: Compared with day work, shift work without night shifts was associated with physical inactivity among men [OR 1.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09–1.74], whereas shift work with night shifts was negatively associated with physical inactivity among women (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.76–0.96). Register-based working time data confirmed that workers with a higher percentage of night shifts had a lower risk of physical inactivity. Having small children was associated with physical inactivity among shift workers (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.32–1.65). CONCLUSIONS: Both survey and objective working hour data revealed that workers having work schedules with night shifts were more likely to be physically active. Having small children was a risk factor for physical inactivity among shift workers.

Background: Drug abuse is one of the world's most serious and rapidly rising problems, causing a wide variety of health issues with significant morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to explore the association between part-time work and substance abuse among vocational students. Design and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analytical study that included all part-time working male students from five vocational male schools, and we used a standardized pretested questionnaire after obtaining written informed consent. A One-Step Multi-Drug Screen Test was used to assess the substances that were abused. Results: A total of 316 out of the 400 invited students participated in our study. Of the total screened subjects, 26.6 % were abusing substances. Twenty-five (36.2%) day working adolescents, nine (14.0%) night working adolescents, and forty (36.0%) day and night working adolescents were abusers.Tobacco was the most widely abused drug (68%) in the form of smoking, followed by cannabis (24%), marijuana (16.4%), alcohol (10%), and opioid (6.3%). Night workers had significantly lower rates of smoking, cannabis, Marijuana, alcohol, or opioids abuse, and Logistic regression was performed to ascertain the effects of the work schedule on the likelihood that participants have substance abuse; Night workers were 7.14 times less likely to have substance abuse than day workers, while day and night work did not differ from day work. Conclusions: The prevalence of drug abuse in vocational students is considered high and a serious problem that damages the youth and the community.

Shift work occupies precious time for family and social life. The aim of this review was to systematically assess the state of research on the impact of shift work on work-fam-ily conflict. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed and EBSCO to identify studies published between 1990 and 2017. In the end, 36 articles met the inclusion criteria and were considered in this review. Shift workers show higher levels of work-family conflict in comparison to workers in regular day schedules. Different shift types and a large variation of shift characteristics have been studied. Results point to a higher work-family conflict especially among night shift workers and those working in a shift schedule, including weekend work. Research testing for causality is missing.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether night work expressed by number and duration of night shifts, number of consecutive night shifts, and number of quick returns during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy is a risk factor for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). METHODS: The study population comprised Danish workers in public administration and hospitals who gave birth between 2007 and 2013. Exposure was assessed objectively through payroll data. Information on the outcome was retrieved from the National Patient Register. We performed logistic regression on the risk for HDP according to night work adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI), parity, socioeconomic status, and sickness absence prior to pregnancy. RESULTS: Among 18 724 workers, 60% had at least one night shift during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. The prevalence of HDP was 3.7%. Among night workers, the risk of HDP grew with increasing number of consecutive night shifts [odds ratio (OR) 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.98) and of quick returns after night shifts (OR 1.28, 95% CI 0.87–1.95). Among obese women (body mass index ≥30 kg/m^2), those who worked long night shifts and longer spells of consecutive night shifts, and had the highest number of quick returns after night shifts, had a 4–5 fold increased risk of HDP compared to day workers. CONCLUSION: Working consecutive night shifts and quick returns after night shifts during the first 20 pregnancy weeks was associated with an increased risk of HDP, particularly among obese women.

Cognitive wireless sensor network (CRSN) is a new type of network that introduces cognitive radio (CR) technology into traditional WSN,and has certain application value and developmental prospect.However,the additional energy consumption,processing requirements and its high cost implementation have hindered its further development and application.Based on this,transfering cognitive functions to another nodes——cognitive nodes which have ability of processing and collecting energy was proposed.The cognitive nodes were deployed with the ordinary sensor nodes according to the certain proportion.They form a new type of network——heterogeneous node CRSN (HT-CRSN).The new network can improve network performance and reduce the deployment cost.Then a work schedule which can be applied to this kind of heterogeneous node sensor networks and a series of feasible MAC protocols was proposed.The analysis of the proposed MAC protocol proves that energy consumption can be balanced by adjusting the deployed ratio of the two kinds of heterogeneous nodes and the network life cycle is improved.

Cognitive wireless sensor network (CRSN) is a new type of network that introduces cognitive radio (CR) technology into traditional WSN,and has certain application value and developmental prospect.However,the additional energy consumption,processing requirements and its high cost implementation have hindered its further development and application.Based on this,transfering cognitive functions to another nodes——cognitive nodes which have ability of processing and collecting energy was proposed.The cognitive nodes were deployed with the ordinary sensor nodes according to the certain proportion.They form a new type of network——heterogeneous node CRSN (HT-CRSN).The new network can improve network performance and reduce the deployment cost.Then a work schedule which can be applied to this kind of heterogeneous node sensor networks and a series of feasible MAC protocols was proposed.The analysis of the proposed MAC protocol proves that energy consumption can be balanced by adjusting the deployed ratio of the two kinds of heterogeneous nodes and the network life cycle is improved.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to (i) compare odds of endometriosis in a cohort of flight attendants against a comparison group of teachers and (ii) investigate occupational risk factors for endometriosis among flight attendants. METHODS: We included 1945 flight attendants and 236 teachers aged 18–45 years. Laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis was self-reported via telephone interview, and flight records were retrieved from airlines to obtain work schedules and assess exposures for flight attendants. We used proportional odds regression to estimate adjusted odds ratios (OR_adj) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for associations between exposures and endometriosis, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Flight attendants and teachers were equally likely to report endometriosis (OR_adj 1.0, 95% CI 0.5–2.2). Among flight attendants, there were no clear trends between estimated cosmic radiation, circadian disruption, or ergonomic exposures and endometriosis. Greater number of flight segments (non-stop flights between two cities) per year was associated with endometriosis (OR_adj 2.2, 1.1–4.2 for highest versus lowest quartile, P trend= 0.02) but block hours (taxi plus flight time) per year was not (OR_adj 1.2, 95% CI 0.6–2.2 for highest versus lowest quartile, P trend=0.38). CONCLUSION: Flight attendants were no more likely than teachers to report endometriosis. Odds of endometriosis increased with number of flight segments flown per year. This suggests that some aspect of work scheduling is associated with increased risk of endometriosis, or endometriosis symptoms might affect how flight attendants schedule their flights.

OBJECTIVES: Diabetes is a multifactorial disease of increasing prevalence. The literature suggests an impact of night work on metabolic components, though the relationship with diabetes is unclear. Our aim was to investigate gender-specific associations between night work and type-2 diabetes (DM2) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) using baseline data of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). METHODS: The cohort comprised 15 105 civil servants, aged 35–74 years. Baseline assessments (2008–2010) included clinical and laboratory measurements and interviews on sociodemographic, occupational, and health characteristics. RESULTS: In the baseline sample (N=14 427), 19.6% were classified as having DM2 and 20.5% as having IGT. Mean age was 52.1 (SD 9.1) years. A total of 2041 participants worked at night for 1–20 years and 687 for >20 years. Among women exposed to night work for >20 years compared with no night work after adjustments for potential confounders, including obesity, the odds ratios (OR) derived from multinomial logistic regression for DM2 and IGT were 1.42 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.39–1.45] and 0.96 (95% CI 0.94–0.99), respectively. Among men exposed to night work for >20 years compared with no night work, the OR for DM2 and IGT were 1.06 (95% CI 1.04–1.08) and 0.99 (95% CI 0.98–1.01), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The association between years of night work and diabetes is stronger among women than men. Longitudinal studies from ELSA-Brasil will be able to corroborate or refute these findings.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates whether different shift work schedules, compared to day work, are associated with need for recovery (NFR), future disability, and retirement intentions for employees employed within different economic sectors over the course of their careers. Shift work exposure duration and the healthy worker effect are also examined. METHODS: Data from the prospective Maastricht Cohort Study was used. Subsamples of industry (N=1877, all men) and healthcare (N=818, 624 women and 194 men) workers were separately investigated. GEE and Cox regression analyses were performed to investigate NFR longitudinally. Future disability was investigated using Cox regression, and retirement intentions were investigated using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Three-shift industry workers were at risk of becoming a case of elevated NFR during follow-up, compared to industry day workers. Three- and five-shift industry workers were at risk for future disability. In healthcare, irregular shift work was a risk factor for disability among older shift workers. No significant results were found regarding retirement intentions. Findings were probably an underestimation as exposure duration to shift work and the healthy worker effect affected the results. CONCLUSIONS: Shift work was associated with higher levels of NFR and a higher risk of disability. However, shift work is a multifaceted concept as different types of shift work schedules are differently associated with these outcomes. Different shift work types exist and shift work schedules allow for optimization, indicating that measures to prevent adverse outcomes should be tailored for different types of shift work and over the course of the work career.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate occupational exposures and menstrual cycle characteristics among nurses. METHODS: Using cross-sectional data collected in 2010–2012 from 6309 nurses aged 21–45 years, we investigated nurses’ menstrual function in the Nurses’ Health Study 3. We used multivariable regression modeling to analyze the associations between occupational exposures and prevalence of irregular cycles and long and short cycle lengths. RESULTS: The cohort reported cycle length as

Work-family balancing (WFB), usually associated with women, is affected by scheduling, flexibility of working arrangements, organizational support, and other workplace parameters. Following a request from the women’s committee of a union confederation, we analysed retail work done on unpredictable, variable, extended schedules. Among other procedures such as workplace observations and study of company registers, we performed cluster analysis on the schedule choices of 247 male and 303 female staff.We found that: 4 clusters characterized schedule preferences; men and women were not uniformly distributed across clusters; choices varied within a gender. Diversity of choices was sufficient to allow the employer in principle to match preferences to schedules, but the employer showed little interest in WFB or gender equality. We conclude that cluster analysis lends itself to ergonomic analysis and to strategic intervention. We discuss its advantages and disadvantages for promoting workplace equality.

The flexibility of work schedule affects the number of commute trips made per week and the number of hours spent at work, which can influence congestion and transportation emission levels. Understanding the linkages between the flexibility of work schedule and travel behavior will provide insights for policies targeted at transportation and parking demand management. This study uses the University of California (UC) Berkeley campus as a study site. UC Berkeley is one of the largest employers in the San Francisco Bay Area with over 11,000 employees, leading to a wide range of employment type, job characteristics, and varying levels of work schedule flexibility. A total of 86 one-on-one interviews were conducted with UC Berkeley employees. This study explores common factors that contribute to UC Berkeley employees’ parking preferences and considers how academic discipline or employment type could affect work schedule, which in turn influences travel behavior. Driving is the most popular choice across employment type and job categories. However, not all employees who drive alone have the same parking location preferences. The flexibility of work schedule is one of the key factors that influences parking preferences at the workplace, especially when there are alternative parking locations.

The structure of work schedules and its effects on the work activity of health care workers in a short-term care facility were analyzed in a context of changes to the Québec health care system. The analysis revealed short patient stays and a great discontinuity in work periods for nursing personnel : 60 % of health care workers in one department worked for fewer than five shifts per month in this department. Thus, the workers often have little information on patients, and the constant changes in the work teams can affect the strategies that they use to remedy the situation. Since the “technical” aspects of the work cannot be reduced, the more “human” aspects can be compressed. Could this type of work organization diminish caring, thus depriving patients of important human contact and health care workers of their sense of the meaning of their work. Could this loss of meaning affect the absenteeism rate, which is known to be high among nurses ?

The structure of work schedules and its effects on the work activity of health care workers in a short-term care facility were analyzed in a context of changes to the Québec health care system. The analysis revealed short patient stays and a great discontinuity in work periods for nursing personnel : 60 % of health care workers in one department worked for fewer than five shifts per month in this department. Thus, the workers often have little information on patients, and the constant changes in the work teams can affect the strategies that they use to remedy the situation. Since the “technical” aspects of the work cannot be reduced, the more “human” aspects can be compressed. Could this type of work organization diminish caring, thus depriving patients of important human contact and health care workers of their sense of the meaning of their work. Could this loss of meaning affect the absenteeism rate, which is known to be high among nurses ?