Abstract
Night work is one of the most recognized responsibilities of security personnel. Feeling vital is a necessary condition for assuring proper development of this function. Thus, the analysis of its effects on physical and mental conditions is a relevant resource for achieving adequate results at individual and organizational levels. Based on a questionnaire applied to 184 private security guards in Colombia, this study examines the subjective vitality of the personnel working during night shifts and its association with self-perceptions regarding their physical and mental health. Additionally, it analyzes the interference that various demographic variables exert on these relationships. By using partial least squares structural equation modeling, the study found that subjective vitality significantly affects night workers’ mental health more than their physical health. That is, subjective vitality among respondents explains 51% of the variability of mental health and 36% of the variability of physical health. A further significant effect of physical health on mental health was also evidenced, in which the former explains the 25% of the latter variability. When comparing results between genders, the study shows that the variability of mental health explained by subjective vitality among women is larger than among men (75% vs. 28%). These results are discussed in light of the theoretical aspects of organizational behavior and are grounded around their potential to address the phenomenon of human resource management in practice. Practical implications include the need for organizational schemes that balance physical and mental health among night workers. AcknowledgmentsThe authors want to acknowledge the 184 Colombian security guards who provided their time to complete the questionnaire for this study.
Highlights
Staying alert means being inquisitive, mentally active, and having the ability to appreciate obvious and hidden patterns in the environment
Based on a questionnaire applied to 184 private security guards in Colombia, this study examines the subjective vitality of the personnel working during night shifts and its association with self-perceptions regarding their physical and mental health
I feel full of vitality I have much energy I feel exhausted I feel tired My physical health is excellent I get sick more quickly than other people I am as healthy as anyone I feel like my health is going to get worse My health is excellent I have been very nervous I feel low in spirit I feel calm and serene I feel discouraged and sad I feel happy
Summary
Staying alert means being inquisitive, mentally active, and having the ability to appreciate obvious and hidden patterns in the environment. Many individuals in various trades and professions require the ability to actively perform their duties (remain alert) during unconventional working hours, such as night shifts Such activities can burden one’s mental and physical health due to the frequent interruptions in circadian rhythm, which is motivated by an irregular sleep pattern (Vijaykumar et al, 2018). From a perceptual approach, the proposed research question focuses on the association of vitality with the physical and mental health, status of security personnel who work night shifts, and with their demographic characteristics such as age, gender, family conditions, sub-region, and work seniority, that could affect these associations. Most literature has been focused on reporting overall measurements related to the physical H2: Subjective vitality of night staff has a posiand mental conditions of personnel performing tive effect on the perception of their mental night work jobs As will be detailed later, this construct for the model ex-
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
