TY - JOUR
T1 - Work stressors, perseverative cognition and objective sleep quality
T2 - A longitudinal study among dutch helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) pilots
AU - Radstaak, Mirjam
AU - Geurts, Sabine A.E.
AU - Beckers, Debby G.J.
AU - Brosschot, Jos F.
AU - Kompier, Michiel A.J.
PY - 2014/1/1
Y1 - 2014/1/1
N2 - Objectives: This longitudinal study examined the associations between work stressors, perseverative cognition and subjective and objective sleep quality. We hypothesized work stressors to be associated with (i) poor nocturnal sleep quality and (ii) higher levels of perseverative cognition during a free evening. We further hypothesized (iii) perseverative cognition to be associated with poor nocturnal sleep quality and (iv) the association between work stressors and sleep quality to be mediated by perseverative cognition. Methods: The participants were 24 pilots working for the Dutch Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS). They completed six questionnaires: at the end of three consecutive day shifts and each morning following the shifts. The questionnaires addressed work stressors (workload, distressing shifts and work-related conflicts), subjective sleep quality and perseverative cognition. Participants wore actigraphs to assess sleep onset latency, total sleep time and number of awakenings. Results: Correlation analysis revealed that (i) distressing shifts were related to delayed sleep onset (r=0.50, p=0.026) and that workload was related to impaired sleep quality (e.g., subjective sleep quality: r=-0.42, p=0.044). Moreover, (ii) distressing shifts were Sleeppositively related to perseverative cognition (r=0.62, p=0.002), (iii) perseverative cognition delayed sleep onset (r=0.74, p < 0.001) and (iv) mediated the association between distressing shifts and sleep onset latency. Conclusions: Perseverative cognition may be an explanatory mechanism in the association between work stressors and poor sleep.
AB - Objectives: This longitudinal study examined the associations between work stressors, perseverative cognition and subjective and objective sleep quality. We hypothesized work stressors to be associated with (i) poor nocturnal sleep quality and (ii) higher levels of perseverative cognition during a free evening. We further hypothesized (iii) perseverative cognition to be associated with poor nocturnal sleep quality and (iv) the association between work stressors and sleep quality to be mediated by perseverative cognition. Methods: The participants were 24 pilots working for the Dutch Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS). They completed six questionnaires: at the end of three consecutive day shifts and each morning following the shifts. The questionnaires addressed work stressors (workload, distressing shifts and work-related conflicts), subjective sleep quality and perseverative cognition. Participants wore actigraphs to assess sleep onset latency, total sleep time and number of awakenings. Results: Correlation analysis revealed that (i) distressing shifts were related to delayed sleep onset (r=0.50, p=0.026) and that workload was related to impaired sleep quality (e.g., subjective sleep quality: r=-0.42, p=0.044). Moreover, (ii) distressing shifts were Sleeppositively related to perseverative cognition (r=0.62, p=0.002), (iii) perseverative cognition delayed sleep onset (r=0.74, p < 0.001) and (iv) mediated the association between distressing shifts and sleep onset latency. Conclusions: Perseverative cognition may be an explanatory mechanism in the association between work stressors and poor sleep.
KW - Actigraph
KW - Recovery
KW - Rumination
KW - Shift work
KW - Stress
KW - Worrying
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84920102406&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1539/joh.14-0118-OA
DO - 10.1539/joh.14-0118-OA
M3 - Article
C2 - 25744087
AN - SCOPUS:84920102406
SN - 1341-9145
VL - 56
SP - 469
EP - 477
JO - Journal of Occupational Health
JF - Journal of Occupational Health
IS - 6
ER -