A multimodal analysis of physical activity, sleep, and work shift in nurses with wearable sensor data

Felipe Osorno,Brooke Baldwin-Rodríguez,Brandon M Booth,Tiantian Feng,Shrikanth Narayanan

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-87029-w

Felipe Osorno, Brooke Baldwin-Rodríguez + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-87029-w

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Abstract

Night shift workers are often associated with circadian misalignment and physical discomfort, which may lead to burnout and decreased work performance. Moreover, the irregular work hours can lead to significant negative health outcomes such as poor eating habits, smoking, and being sedentary more often. This paper uses commercial wearable sensors to explore correlates and differences in the level of physical activity, sleep, and circadian misalignment indicators among day shift nurses and night shift nurses. We identify which self-reported assessments of affect, life satisfaction, and sleep quality, are associated with physiological and behavioral signals captured by wearable sensors. The results using data collected from 113 nurses in a large hospital setting, over a period of 10 weeks, indicate that night shift nurses are more sedentary, and report lower levels of life satisfaction than day-shift nurses. Moreover, night shift nurses report poorer sleep quality, which may be correlated with challenges in their attempts to fall asleep on off-days.

Highlights

Night shift workers are often associated with circadian misalignment and physical discomfort, which may lead to burnout and decreased work performance
The main contributions of this study are the following: (1) In contrast to most existing works, the present study provides analyses of both wearable data and self-report variables over a significantly longer (10-week) duration and from a larger participation pool of healthcare workers (113 nurses) to explore differential effects on nurses working different shift schedules and in their natural work environments; (2) The study quantifies correlates and differences in the level of physical activity, sleep, and circadian misalignment indicators between day shift nurses and night shift nurses; (3) it identifies unique associations between self-report behavioral variables and wearable sensor data for nurses working in different shift schedules
The analysis conducted in this work seeks to determine whether there are any measurable and significant differences in relative sleep patterns, physical activity levels, or self-reported behavioral variables between the day shift and night shift nursing professionals

Summary

Introduction

Night shift workers are often associated with circadian misalignment and physical discomfort, which may lead to burnout and decreased work performance. The US Department of Labor estimates that upwards of 16% of the US workforce occupies a non-day shift schedule, including shifts during evenings, nights, and rotating and irregular work hours[1] This growing demand for non-daytime shift work is perceived as a benefit for some people who enjoy working late hours or need schedule flexibility. One of the most prevalent concerns for night shift workers is their tendency to experience circadian misalignment This may initially result when a person’s biological clock is misaligned with the shift work and may be chronically exacerbated for individuals who work rotating shifts or attempt to maintain a regular schedule during off-days (e.g., to maintain social ties). Workers who always work night shift may voluntarily induce circadian misalignment to maintain family and social c onnections[16] Another reportedly important factor influencing job satisfaction in shift workers and well-being regardless of the work schedule is physical activity[17]. Modern mobile and wearable sensing technologies offer a promising avenue for capturing rich human-centric contextual, behavioral, and physiological signals to aid in monitoring well-being

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