Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-2008

Abstract

Characteristics of shiftwork schedules have implications for off-shift well-being. We examined the extent to which several shift characteristics (e.g., shift length, working sundays) are associated with three aspects of off-shift well-being: work-to-family conflict, physical well-being, and mental well-being. We also investigated whether these relationships differed in four nations. The Survey of Work and Time was completed by 906 healthcare professionals located in Australia, Brazil, Croatia, and the USA. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses supported the hypothesis that shiftwork characteristics account for significant unique variance in all three measures of well-being beyond that accounted for by work and family demands and personal characteristics. The patterns of regression weights indicated that particular shiftwork characteristics have differential relevance to indices of work-to-family conflict, physical well-being, and mental well-being. Our findings suggest that healthcare organizations should carefully consider the implications of shiftwork characteristics for off-shift well-being. Furthermore, although our findings did not indicate national differences in the nature of relationships between shift characteristics and well-being, shiftwork characteristics and demographics for healthcare professionals differ in systematic ways among nations; as such, effective solutions may be context-specific.

Publication Title

Applied Ergonomics

Volume

39

Issue

5

First Page

589

Last Page

596

DOI of Published Version

10.1016/j.apergo.2008.02.019

Publisher

Elsevier

Comments

This is the NIH-PA author(s) PDF of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication and deposited in PMC. The published version of record is available at here: 10.1016/j.apergo.2008.02.019

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