Effects Of Rest Breaks Research Articles

The Effects of Workplace Rest Breaks on Health Problems Related to Long Working Hours and Shift Work among Male Apartment Janitors in Korea.

BackgroundRest breaks at work are reported to reduce fatigue and job stress. Apartment janitors in Korea who perform night shift work and work long hours can be exposed to various health problems (HPs). However, few studies have evaluated relationships between their rest breaks and HPs. This study was conducted to examine the relationships between long working hours, shift work, and insufficient rest breaks and HPs among Korean apartment janitors.MethodsData on 1,212 selected male apartment janitors were obtained from the 3rd and 4th Korean Working Conditions Surveys. Demographic and occupational characteristics were collected using self-reported questionnaires. Rest breaks at work were classified as “sufficient” or “insufficient.” Long working hours were considered as working more than 60 hours per week. Zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression was performed to investigate the effects of shift work and long working hours on HPs and the effects of rest breaks on relationships between HPs and long working hours and shift work.ResultsAmong those with insufficient rest breaks at work, significant associations were found between long working hours and the risk of HPs [odds ratio (OR) = 1.489; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.038–2.136] and work-related HPs (WRHPs) [OR 1.621; 95% CI = 1.156–2.272], and between shift work and HPs [OR = 1.603; 95% CI = 1.084–2.372]. These relationships became nonsignificant when sufficient rest breaks were provided.ConclusionIt is important to provide breaks at work to reduce HPs because of long working hours and shift work among aged workers such as apartment janitors.

Assessing the benefits of napping and short rest breaks on processing speed in sleep-restricted adolescents.

Achievement-oriented adolescents often study long hours under conditions of chronic sleep restriction, adversely affecting cognitive function. Here, we studied how napping and rest breaks (interleaved off-task periods) might ameliorate the negative effects of sleep restriction onprocessing speed. Fifty-seven healthy adolescents (26 female, age=15-19years) participated in a 15-day live-in protocol. All participants underwent sleep restriction (5h time-in-bed), but were then randomized into two groups: one of these groups received a daily 1-h nap opportunity. Data from seven of the study days (sleep restriction days 1-5, and recovery days 1-2) are reported here. The Blocked Symbol Decoding Test, administered once a day, was used to assess time-on-task effects and the effects of rest breaks on processing speed. Controlling for baseline differences, participants who took a nap demonstrated faster speed of processing and greater benefit across testing sessions from practice. These participants were also affected significantly less by time-on-task effects. In contrast, participants who did not receive a nap benefited more from the rest breaks that were permitted between blocks of the test. Our results indicate that napping partially reverses the detrimental effects of sleep restriction on processing speed. However, rest breaks have a greater effect as a countermeasure against poor performance when sleep pressure is higher. These data add to the growing body of evidence showing the importance of sleep for good cognitive functioning in adolescents, and suggest that more frequent rest breaks might be important insituations where sleep loss is unavoidable.

The effects of rest breaks, work shift start time, and sleep on the onset of severe injury among workers in the People’s Republic of China

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the duration and timing of rest breaks on traumatic injury risk across a shift in a relatively large sample of hospitalized workers with severe work-related hand injury in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Hospitalized workers from multiple industries with severe work-related traumatic hand injury were recruited from 11 hospitals in three industrially-developed cities in the PRC: Ningbo, Liuzhou, and Wuxi. Cox regression was used to compare time into the work shift of injury across categories of rest breaks, while evaluating several potential covariates including age, gender, work hours, work start time and duration, injury day and time, duration and quality of last sleep, alertness/sleepiness, job control, and several transient work-related factors. Effect modification by work shift start time was also evaluated. With four days of injury, 703 hospitalized workers completed a face-to-face interview. After adjusting for significant covariates, workers with rest breaks of 1-30, 31-60, and >60 minutes were able to work significantly (P<0.001) longer into their work shift without an injury (>5 hours) then those with no rest break. A significant interaction was also observed between rest break status and start time of the work shift. The results of this study suggest that rest breaks of any duration have a significant effect on delaying the onset of a work-related injury, which is modified by the time of day in which a shift begins.

Integrated design and evaluation system for the effect of rest breaks in sustained mental work based on neuro-physiological signals

Rest breaks are very important to prevent the accumulation of mental fatigue in sustained mental work environments. In this research, an integrated design and evaluation system for fatigue and relaxation is proposed, which consists of subjective scale, performance assessment and neurological signals. A work-rest schedule containing mental calculation and rest break is designed to reflect effect of prolonged cognitive work and rest time in mental work environments. Inter-individual difference has been taken into account to extract common features. The results indicate that rest breaks in sustained mental work are effective to counteract mental fatigue and improve work efficiency. Rest breaks are widely recommended in practical mental work circumstance. Integrated analysis from multiestimators is helpful to improve the validity and explore the underlying mechanisms central to mental fatigue. Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals at occipital region show high correlation with performance. Thus EEG signals can contribute to the efficient design of work-rest schedule.

Workplace interventions to prevent musculoskeletal and visual symptoms and disorders among computer users: A systematic review

The literature examining the effects of workstation, eyewear and behavioral interventions on musculoskeletal and visual symptoms among computer users is large and heterogeneous. A systematic review of the literature used a best evidence synthesis approach to address the general question "Do office interventions among computer users have an effect on musculoskeletal or visual health?" This was followed by an evaluation of specific interventions. The initial search identified 7313 articles which were reduced to 31 studies based on content and quality. Overall, a mixed level of evidence was observed for the general question. Moderate evidence was observed for: (1) no effect of workstation adjustment, (2) no effect of rest breaks and exercise and (3) positive effect of alternative pointing devices. For all other interventions mixed or insufficient evidence of effect was observed. Few high quality studies were found that examined the effects of interventions in the office on musculoskeletal or visual health.