Are Students with a Negative Impression on Shift Work Morning-Typed?

This study explores whether morning-typed persons are aware that they are maladapted for shift-work. An integrated questionnaire was administrated to 637 students aged 18-35 yrs attending university or physical therapy training school in May, June and October, 2012. A total of 617 participants (97%) answered the questionnaire that included questions on sleep habits such as bedtime, the diurnal type scale by Torsvall and Akerstedt (1980), questions on mental health (irritation, anger, feeling out of control, depression) and meals content and timing, and questions on experience with and attitude towards shift work, including the question, “Would you be able to mentally and physically withstand doing shift work for one year, if given the chance?” Participants that answered “Absolutely never” to this question (DIFFICULT Group) showed significantly higher scores on the diurnal-type scale (more morning-typed) (p=0.005) and subjectively evaluated themselves as “more morning-typed persons” (p