Association between Shift Work and Neurocognitive Function among Firefighters in South Korea: A Prospective Before-After Study.

Kyeongmin Kwak,Bong-Kyu Kim,Kyeong-Sook Choi,Tae-Won Jang,Kyoung Sook Jeong,Chang Sun Sim,Yeon-Soon Ahn

doi:10.3390/ijerph17134647

Abstract

Background: Recent research indicates that shift work is associated with neurocognitive function. However, studies that examine the association between shift work and neurocognitive function in firefighters have not yet been performed. We examined the effect of shift work on neurocognitive function in firefighters by measuring and comparing neurocognitive function before and after night shift. Methods: 352 firefighters from eight fire stations in South Korea were included in this study. We performed neurocognitive function test using central nervous system vital signs (CNSVS) during daytime work and on the next day after night work. We performed paired t-tests to assess differences between neurocognitive function before and after night work. We also compared neurocognitive function in insomnia and depression. We used a general linear model to analyze the associations between shiftwork schedule and the changes in neurocognitive function. Results: The neurocognitive function significantly decreased in six domains (composite memory, verbal memory, visual memory, complex attention, psychomotor speed, and motor speed) as did the neurocognitive index on the next day after night work compared with during day work. These decreased domains were the same following night work regardless of the type of shift work. Conclusion: Night work in firefighters may cause neurocognitive decline.

Highlights

Firefighters in South Korea are responsible for fire suppression and for various accident-related rescue and emergency activities and preparation for large-scale disasters and on-siteInt
This study aimed to investigate the effects of shift work on neurocognitive function in firefighters by measuring and comparing cognitive functions before and after they worked the night shift
When the data were stratified according to degree of insomnia, we found that the domains of complex attention, psychomotor speed, and motor speed score, which were not significantly decreased after nighttime work in the normal group, were significantly decreased in the mild insomnia group

Summary

Introduction

Firefighters in South Korea are responsible for fire suppression and for various accident-related rescue and emergency activities and preparation for large-scale disasters and on-siteInt. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 4647 response [1]. Firefighters have higher risks of psychological problems, such as depression [3] and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [4,5,6] compared with the general population. Many firefighters suffer from sleep disorders due to exposure to shift work [7,8]. Recent research indicates that shift work is associated with neurocognitive function. Studies that examine the association between shift work and neurocognitive function in firefighters have not yet been performed. We performed neurocognitive function test using central nervous system vital signs (CNSVS) during daytime work and on the day after night work. We performed paired t-tests to assess differences between neurocognitive function before and after night work. We used a general linear model to analyze the associations between shiftwork schedule and the changes in neurocognitive function

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion