Standard Shiftwork Index Research Articles

Problems with the measures of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular symptom frequency in The Standard Shiftwork Index

The measures of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health in The Standard Shiftwork Index (SSI; Barton, Costa, Smith, Spelten, Totterdell, and Folkard, 1995) purport to measure the frequency of 19 related symptoms using a 4-point rating scale, with response categories expressed in terms of a relative frequency: 'almost never', 'quite seldom', 'quite often', and 'almost always'. The present pilot study examined the relationship between frequency ratings of 11 gastrointestinal and 8 cardiovascular symptoms made on the SSI 4-point scale, and ratings of the same symptoms made on an alternative 9-point rating scale, which had response categories that were expressed in terms of an absolute value of symptom frequency (e.g. 'once a week'). Results obtained from a sample of 56 non-shiftworkers showed that the correlations between the two response formats were not high for any of the 11 gastrointestinal or 8 cardiovascular symptoms. Three of the relationships were non-significant. In addition, substantial variability in the interpretation of the response categories was detected between symptom items pertaining to both the gastrointestinal and cardiovascular subscales. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the current system of scoring individual symptom items, and the current aims within shiftwork research.

Effects of direction of rotation in continuous and discontinuous 8 hour shift systems

OBJECTIVESPrevious research has produced conflicting evidence on the relative merits of advancing and delaying shift systems. The current study assessed the effects of the direction of shift rotation within 8...

Validity of the standard shiftwork index for South African shiftworkers in the transport industry

A major problem in shiftwork research has been the lack of uniform measuring procedures across studies. The Standard Shiftwork Index (SSI) contains a battery of self-report questionnaires which was developed to address this need. The objectives of this study included examining the cross- cultural applicability, internal consistency, and construct validity of the SSI scales for a predominantly Afrikaans-speaking sample of 728 train drivers and to provide normative distribution statistics for this sample. Factor analytic results and the correlations between the various scales supported the constnuct validity of the SSI scales. Means obtained on the scales were compared with means obtained for British shiftworkers and non-shiftworkers. The inclusion of job satisfaction and involvement scales, and scales to assess sleep variables appeared to augment an outcome- based theoretical model proposed by the compilers of the SSI. It was concluded that the SSI is a useful research tool for use with shiftworkers, but that further development of some of the scales is advisable. Opsomming 'n Belangrike leemte in navorsing oor skofwerk is die gebrek aan eenvormige metingsprosedures. Die Standard Shiftwork Index (SSI) behels verskeie selfbeoordelingvraelyste wat in Engeland ontwikkel is om hierdie behoefte aan te spreek. Die doelwitte van hierdie studie was om die tussenkulturele toepaslikheid, interne konsekwentheid en konstrukgeldigheid van die SSI-skale vir 'n hoofsaaklik Afrikaanssprekende steekproef van 728 treindrywers te bepaal en om normatiewe statistiek vir hierdie steekproef te verskaf. Faktoranalitiese resultate en die korrelasies tussen die onderskeie skale het hul konstrukgeldigheid ondersteun. Gemiddeldes wat op die onderskeie vraelyste behaal is, is vergelyk met gemiddeldes wat vir Britse skofwerkers en nieskofwerkers verkry is. Die insluiting van werktevredenheid- en werkbetrokkenheidskale, asook skale oor slaap, het die uitkomsgebaseerde teoretiese model van die opstellers van die SSI aangevul. Die SSI kan beskou word as 'n nuttige navorsingshulpmiddel vir gebruik met skofwerkers, maar verdere ontwikkeling van sommige van die skale is gewens.

Distribution of rest days in 12 hour shift systems: impacts on health, wellbeing, and on shift alertness.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate of the effects of distribution of rest days in 12 hour shift systems. Although several studies have examined the effects of compressing work schedules by comparing 8...

Stress states, alertness and individual differences under 12-hour shiftwork

This study examined stress states experienced by thermoelectric operators at work under a fast rotating 12-hour shift system, time-on-shift effects in their manifestation and the manner in which these states may be moderated by individual differences in personality related to circadian typology and physical and mental health, as measured by the standard shiftwork index (SSI) scales. The observed stress states are characterized mostly by increased symptoms of distractibility and sleepiness and low irritability. Distractibility increased and alertness abruptly fell after 03 am in the nigth shift. Moderate extent of occurrence of stress states symptoms throughout the shifts and few psychosomatic complaints were found, indicating the operators were able to maintain vigilance and to cope with shiftwork. The correlations with the circadian typology variables show their important role as modifiers of stress states and low alertness at night. Correlations found between personal outcomes in terms of psychosomatic problems and chronic fatigue, and distractibility and irritability disclose an interaction between chronic and acute effects of the shiftwork stressors, that could have, with advancing in age, important consequences for the operators' health and work safety. Relevance to industry Stress states — transient negative states, that may have important consequences for behavioural reliability and safety, occur under vigilant behaviour demands and unusual periods of work, e.g. operators' monitoring task of continuous processes, performed under conditions of night and shiftwork. Individual differences, related to sleep disturbances and circadian rhythms, health problems and chronic fatigue play an important role in developing and coping with the stress states.

Evaluation of the survey of shiftworkers (SOS) short version of the standard shiftwork index

The objective of the study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a translated SOS version and to compare the results obtained on groups of shiftworkers of different gender, working in different shift schedules. The subjects: (a) 61 women working 12-hour shifts (day-night-two days off), (b) 78 men working 12-hour shifts (day-night-two days off) and (c) 69 men working 8-hour shifts (2 : 2 : 2; morning-afternoon-night) were administered the SOS which consists of questions and rating scales covering description of the shift system worked, individual difference and tolerance to shiftwork measures. The scales used as tolerance to shiftwork measures showed satisfactory psychometric properties. The discriminant analysis performed showed that the ‘social’, ‘domestic’ and ‘non-domestic’ disruption scores were the most potent discriminant factors to differentiate between different shift systems. Irrespective of gender, workers in 12-hour shift system reported less disturbed domestic, non-domestic and social life than workers in 8-hour shift system. Relevance to industry As a relatively short and easy to administer, the Survey on Shiftworkers could be used to identify problems of industrial shiftworkers associated with different types of shift systems and to evaluate possible interventions.

Sleep quality and physical and social well-being in North American petrochemical shift workers.

We modified a European questionnaire, the Standard Shiftwork Index, in syntax and length for application to workers of an American continuous operations petrochemical company in southeast Texas. Three groups of male employees--147 day workers, 107 8-hour backward rotating shift workers, and 107 12-hour shift workers--were surveyed for sleep quality, physical well-being, and time for family and personal pursuits. The groups were comparable in terms of travel time to work, marital status, age, number of children at home under the age of 18 years, history (years) of shift work, and proportion of partners working outside the home. Statistically significant group differences were detected in the mean responses between the 8-hour backward and the other groups for the indices of sleep quality, physical well-being (gastrointestinal and cardiovascular complaints), and time for family and personal pursuits. In all cases, the 8-hour backward shift work group fared worst. The differences between the groups are believed to reflect the stress of the respective work shift schedules.

Psychophysical conditions of air traffic controllers evaluated by the standard shiftwork index

Abstract In the ambit of a large epidemiological survey on the Italian population of air traffic controllers, an evaluation of their health conditions was carried out using the Standard Shiftwork Index (SSI). The study took into consideration 572 male air traffic controllers, aged between 23 and 59 years, of whom 301 were engaged in three large Regional Centres, 189 in thirteen Airport Towers and 82. formerly active controllers, were working in administrative offices. The former controllers showed worse health levels, in particular minor psychological disorders and chronic fatigue. Sixteen of them had been transferred to administrative jobs because of health impairment, owing to severe diseases of the nervous, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems. Such disorders, and musculoskeletal ones, were mostly reported by the active controllers. The controllers engaged in Regional Centres showed more sleep disturbances than those engaged in towers. Beside age, some personal characteristics appeared to influe...

Interactive effect of individual factors on nurses' health and sleep

Abstract There is a tendency in studies concerning individual diferences in shiftwork tolerance to analyse the moderating effect of individual factors separately as if they acted independently. The aim of this study was to examine the interactive effect of individual factors (i.e. morningness, flexibility, languidity, neuroticism, extroversion) on nurses' health and sleep. A hundred female nurses (mean age 25.9 years, SD = 3.7 years) working a 2 × 12-h shift system were chosen from a larger study conducted among Intensive Care Unit staff. All subjects completed the Standard Shiftwork Index. Multiple regression analyses show that interactions of neuroticism and other factors (languidity, morningness) predict the majority of health and sleep complaints rather than neuroticism itself. Correlation analyses revealed that the interaction of neuroticism and languidity correlates higher with some indices of impaired health and sleep disturbances than when these factors are taken separately. The contribution of fl...

Is there an optimum number of night shifts? Relationship between sleep, health and well-being.

By concentrating on the impact of a specific shift-system feature on the well-being of those concerned, rather than on the impact of the shift system as a whole, one might be able to offer more meaningful suggestions as to what constitutes a better form of shift system. The present study focused on the impact of the number of consecutive night shifts worked on the health and well-being of two groups of nurses (permanent night and rotating shift). All nurses completed a copy of the Standard Shiftwork Index, which is a set of questionnaires designed for comparing the effects of different types of shift system on large groups of workers. It includes measurements of psychological ill-health, physical ill-health, chronic fatigue, social and domestic disruption, attitudes towards shiftwork, sleep quality and sleep habits. Results showed clearly the impact of the number of consecutive nights worked on health and well-being, not directly, but indirectly through the impact on sleep duration and sleep quality. Sleep duration was shown to increase with more consecutive nights worked. This in turn was found to predict sleep quality, which in turn was found to be the stronger direct predictor of psychological and physical ill-health i.e. better health was associated with longer and better quality sleeps. Explanations in terms of circadian adaptation are discussed.

The Standard Shiftwork Index: a battery of questionnaires for assessing shiftwork-related problems

Abstract The lack of standardization in shiftwork research has been recognized. In response, a battery of selfreport questionnaires has been developed, which might usefully be employed in assessing the impact of different types of shift systems on large groups of individuals. The scales included reflect the most pertinent issues within shiftwork research, and were chosen on the basis of being both relatively short, easy to administer, and having good psychometric properties. The scales fall broadly into three main categories: outcomes, relating to the actual problems experienced by the individuals concerned; modifiers, relating to those differences between individuals which may serve to moderate the impact of shiftwork; and general, including work context and shift system details. Suggestions as to how the questionnaires might usefully be employed are offered. Based on the results of a large sample of nurses and midwives, and a second sample of industrial and service workers, the present paper offers: a s...