• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.7 no.5
• /
• pp.615-627
• /
• 2002

The purpose of this study was to examine the eating habits and nutrient intake of industrial workers who work day and night shifts. In the area of percentage of skipped meals, the day shift workers responded that they usually skipped breakfast and the night shift workers often skipped lunch and dinner. The day shift workers answered that they skipped meals because of lack of time. The night shift workers cited poor appetite as their main reason for skipping meals. The intake of calories, Vitamin $B_2$ and calcium of the industrial workers who worked day and night shift was lower than the Korean RDA. The intake of iron of the male night shift workers was lower than the Korean RDA The intake of calories, protein, calcium, iron, Vitamin $B_2$and niacin, vitamin C of the female night shift workers was lower than the Korean RDA. In the area of nutrient intake, the night shift workers both male and female got lower scales than the day shift workers. The nutrient intake of the female night shift workers was the worst. Because they cook for themselves and live alone, their nutrient intake and eating habits were bad. The night shift workers were worse than the day shift workers and the female night shift workers were the worst. Considering the above results, night shift workers should correct their poor eating habits, their nutrient intake and have a well-balanced diet.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.13-26
• /
• 2003

The purpose of this study is to investigate the present conditions of the night work and shift work systems in the heavy chemical industrial complexes found in Changwon, Masan, and Chinhae. Korea. We will attempt to define and classify their problems; and to discover further ways to improve their systems. Fifty production factories were carefully selected as the subjects for this study. The shift systems were classified into five categories. The consecutive night shifts were long in almost all cases with 6 days (36 factories) and 7 days (13 factories). It was found that the night work of about] 2 hours continues for a long period in the weekly rotation full-day shift systems and the night-including non-full-day shift systems, and there was no holiday during a shift cycle in the continuous full-day shift systems. The work time in most shift systems was longer than the 44-hours/week permitted by Korean law. Considering the characteristics of these various types of shift systems, the most essential thing to reduce the shift workers' work load may be to shorten their working hours and improve the schedule of shift systems. It is highly recommended as a fundamental solution. to reduce the portal-to-portal hours from 12 to 8 in the night-including non-full-day shift systems and the weekly rotation full-day shift systems, and at least to employ a 4-team 3-shift system in the continuous full-day shift systems. In addition to this, it should from now on be taken as a goal to restructure the types of shift systems by taking such measures as avoiding continuous night work if possible, providing sufficient off-duty intervals both before and after night shift, providing increased opportunities for workers to nap during night work. and increasing the number of holidays.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.49-57
• /
• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the meaning of job experiences of fixed night shift nurses participating in a pilot project by a tertiary hospital, and to provide basic information for improving their night shift working environment. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted using individual interviews in September 2022. Three female nurses who worked fixed night shifts were recruited from a tertiary hospital. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: By analyzing the meaning of job experience as a fixed night shift nurse, four categories and nine subcategories were identified. The four categories of job experience of fixed night shift nurses were: expecting an improvement physical health due to predictable working hours, enjoying leisure time due to long off-duty hours, regretting for loosened relationships, and considering a successful settlement of fixed night shift nursing. Conclusion: As night shift work is essential for nurses to provide continuous nursing to patients, it is necessary to develop various strategies to improve the physical health of night shift nurses through fatigue management and good sleep quality, mental health through work-life harmony, and social health through intimate relationships between patients and coworkers.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.54-63
• /
• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the working status and Standard Shiftwork Index (SSI) between night shift-fixed nurses and rotating shift nurses. Methods: Participants were 367 nurses working as registered nurses at 7 different medical institutions. The data were collected from August 8, 2016 to September 30, 2016. Results: Night shift fixed nurses were more satisfied with work schedule than rotating shift nurses. Rotating shift nurses reported higher SSI scores, such as chronic fatigue, musculoskeletal problems, than night shift fixed nurses. In SSI's sub-items, rotating shift nurses reported higher scores, such as the amount of sleep, feeling well after sleep, heartburn or stomach-ache and heartbeat irregularities, than night shift fixed nurses. Conclusion: The results indicated that night shift fixed system might be an effective method to improve nurses' work satisfaction. It is necessary to figure out any suitable night shift fixed system based on the characteristics of each nursing organization. The SSI might be an useful tool to measure the nurses' satisfaction in reference to their work shift.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.133-139
• /
• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the influence of consecutive night-shift work and working time on insomnia among hospital nurses. Methods: A descriptive correlational research designutilizing secondary data analysis was adopted. Data on consecutive night-shift work, working time, and insomnia were collected from 64 hospital nurses using a Fitbit activity tracker and questionnaires, and analyzed using hierarchical logistic regression. Results: Consecutive night-shift work for more than three days had a significant influence on insomnia among hospital nurses. Weekly working hours also accounted significantly for the variance in insomnia, exceeding the influence of consecutive night-shift work. Conclusion: Development and implementation of proper schedules to control consecutive night-shift work and working time is important to alleviate insomnia among hospital nurses.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.254-259
• /
• 2019

Background: This cross-sectional study assessed the sleep quality using the ActiGraph and investigated the relationship between the parameters of sleep assessment and the type of shift work in Korean firefighters. Methods: The participants were 359 firefighters: 65 day workers (control group) and 294 shift workers (shift work group: 77 firefighters with 3-day shift, 72 firefighters with 6-day shift, 65 firefighters with 9-day shift, and 80 firefighters with 21-day shift). Sleep assessments were performed using the ActiGraph (wGT3X-BT) for 24 hours during day shift (control and shift work group) and night shift and rest day (shift work group). The participants recorded bed time and sleep hours during the measurement period. Results: Sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and percentage of wake after sleep onset during night work were lower in the shift work group than control group (p < 0.05). Sleep efficiency decreased in night shift and increased in rest day, whereas wake after sleep onset increased in night shift and decreased in rest day (p < 0.05). Among shift work groups, sleep efficiency of 6-day shift was higher in day shift, and sleep efficiency of 21-day shift was lower in night shift than other shift groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: We found that the sleep quality in night shift of the shift work group was poorer than the control group. As to the type of shift work, sleep quality was good in 6-day shift and poor in 21-day shift. Thus, fast rotating shift such as 6-day shift may be recommended to improve the sleep quality of the firefighters.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.40 no.6
• /
• pp.576-583
• /
• 2007

The purpose of this study was to assess the daily steps, physical activities and activity coefficient of policemen (average age: 31.5 ${\pm}$ 5.1 years) who do shift work. Body weight, height and daily steps were measured and one-day activity diary was collected by interviewing with policemen. Average height, body weight, BMI, body fat (%) and muscles (%) of subjects were 173.1 ${\pm}$ 5.2 cm, 73.7 ${\pm}$ 9.7 kg, 24,6 $kg/m^{2}$, 15.5 ${\pm}$ 1.9% and 37.3 ${\pm}$ 5.8%, respectively. The average daily numbers of steps were found to be 9,812 steps/day on day shift duty and 10,888 steps/day on night shift duty and 6,551 steps/day on holiday duty. Hourly step rates on day shift, night shift and holiday came to 1946 steps/hr, 2,130 steps/hr and 1,318 steps/hr, respectively. Activity coefficient (1.75) in night shift of the subjects was the highest and activity coefficient (1.52) in day shift was significantly higher than that (1.31) in holiday (p < 0.05). The rate of expending time for very light activity in holiday (91.5%) was significantly higher than that (70.0%) in night shift. The muscle mass (kg, %) had significantly positive relationship with daily steps in day shift (r = 0.592, r = 0.632) and night shift (r = 0.550, r = 0.503). Triceps skinfold thickness was negatively correlated with daily steps in day shift (r = -0.366, p < 0.05). There were remarkable differences in physical activities and sleeping hours depending on shift works of policemen. In the case of night shift work, sleeping hours was the lowest and activity coefficient was the highest among day shift, night shift and holiday. These results suggest that energy requirements of policemen should be differentiated according to shift work duty.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.129-149
• /
• 1991

Circadian rhythm is entrained in the 24-hour time interval by periodic factors in the environment, known as zeitgeber. But most rotating work schedules are outside the range of the entrainment of the pacemaker timing the human circadian sleep - wake cycle. It has been postulated that physiological and emotional disturbances occur in most human functions when the circadian rhythm is disturbed. So application of circadian principles to the design of shift schedules can aid in maintaining the temporal integrity of the circadian system and thereby minimize for the shift worker any detrimental consequences of circadian disruption. This study was a quasi-experimental study to test the effect of shift intervals for the clinical nurse on the circadian rhythm. Twenty nurses newly employed in general units of two hospitals were selected as an experimental group and twelve college nursing students as a control group. Both groups were selected according to an established criteria using a purposive sampling technique. Ten subjects were assigned to a weekly shift group and another ten to a biweekly shift group engaged in a semi -continuous shift schedule(sunday off) with a backward direction, that is, morning -evening - night shift. The control group worked a morning shift for 42 days. Oral temperature rhythm, waking tim, sleep - wake cycle, fatigue, and mental performance were measured during the experimental period. The data collection period was from April 30, 1990 to June 10, 1990. MANOVA, paired t-test, ANOVA, and Student Newman Keuls method were used for statistical analysis. The results are summarized as follows. 1. Phase delay in the acrophase of temperature rhythm was shown according to the backward rotating shift. A complete adaptation to work on the night shift was achieved between the sixth and ninth day of the night shift. 2. There was no difference in either waking time or sleep- wake cycle according to the duration of the working day for every shift group. Significant difference was found in the waking time and the sleep -wake cycle for subjects on the morning, evening, and night shift in both of the shift groups(weekly shift group : λ＝0.121, p＜0.01, λ＝0.112, p＜0.01, biweekly shift group : λ＝0.116, p＜0.01, λ＝0.084, p＜0.01). 3. There was no difference in fatigue between the first working day and the last working day for the control group and for the biweekly shift group. In the weekly shift group, physical fatigue was significantly different for the first day and the sixth day of the night shift(t＝-2.28, p＜0.05). Physical fatigue and total fatigue on the first day of the night shift showed a significant difference among the control group, the weekly shift group, and the biweekly shift group(F＝5.79, p＜0.01, F＝4.56, p＜0.05). There was a significant difference between the shift groups and the control group(p＜0.05), Physical fatigue, neurosensory fatigue and total fatigue on the last day of the night shift showed a significant difference among the control group, the weekly shift group, and the biweekly shift group(F＝12.65, p＜0.01, F＝7.77, p＜0.01, F＝9.68, p＜0.01). There was a significant difference between the shift groups and the control group(p＜0.05). 4. No difference in mental performance was seen between the first day and the last day of work in each case. An arithmatic test on the first day of the night shift revealed a significant difference among the control group, the weekly shift group, and the biweekly shift group(F＝3.79, p＜0.05). There was a significant difference between the shift groups and the control group(p＜0.05) . The digital symbol substitution test and the arithmetic test on the last day of the night shift showed a significant difference among the control group, the weekly shift group, and the biweekly shift group(F＝3.68, p＜0.05, F＝5.55, p＜0.01), and both showed a significant difference between the shift groups and the control group(p＜0.05). Accordingly, this study showed that during night duty, the waking time, sleep- wake cycle, and fatigue increased and mental performance decreased compared with morning and evening duty. It was also found that the weekly shift group had a higher fatigue score on the sixth day of night duty as compared to the -first day, but the waking time, sleep- wake cycle, and mental performance revealed no difference for the duration of the night duty or between shift groups, and complete adaptation of temperature rhythm was achieved between the sixth and ninth day of night duty. It is possible to conclude from these results that for intermediate circadian type in a healthy young woman, a biweekly shift system is more compatible with the circadian timing system than weekly shift system.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.519-529
• /
• 2015

Purpose: This study was performed to identify perceptions on fixed night shift system and turnover intention of general hospital nurses and to explore a desirable application plan for a fixed night shift system. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional survey. Participants were 300 nurses working at one general hospital in GyeongGi-Do, Korea. Data were collected from November 3 to 7, 2014, with a structured questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS/PC ver 20.0 programs. Results: Of the participants 73.5% had thought about turnover because of night shifts and the preconditions for desirable fixed night shift system were a payment plan differentiated according to work conditions and an adequate number of nursing staff. Economic and administrative supports like 'raising extra-pay for night shift' and 'increasing the number of paid holidays' were very important for a desirable fixed night shift system. Conclusion: The results indicate that the most important factor for a desirable fixed night shift system to decrease nurses' turnover intention is economic and administrative support according to the needs of the nurses. So nursing managers need to find a desirable fixed night shift system considering nurses' demographic characteristics and organizational characteristics.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.100-114
• /
• 1999

This study was done to investigate the effects of rapidly-rotating shift work of two-day interval on fatigue level and the concentration of urinary 17-KS, $Na^+,\;Cl^-$. The subjects were 20 nursing college students(control group) and 15 nurses in a university hospital and the study was done from Apr. 21 to May 4th, 1999. In the test group, each 5 nurses were allocated to day shift(8 AM-4 PM), evening shift(4 PM-12 MN) and night shift(12 MN-8 AM) respectively. The fatigue level were measured 30 minutes after work start on the 2nd day of work shift. Urine specimens were collected at 8 AM, 4 PM and 12 MN on the 2nd day of work shift in the control group and 30 minutes before and after work on the 2nd day of work shift in the test group. The data were analyzed with SPSS(for Window, ver 7.5). Statistical analysis was performed by using t-test, paired t-test and ANOVA. The results were as follows. 1. The perceived fatigue level in shift work 1) The physical and mental fatigue level were significantly higher in night shift than that in day or evening shift(p<0.05). In the neuro-sensory fatigue level, night shift showed higher tendency than that in day or evening shift, but there were no significant differences between each shifts. 2) Comparison between the control group and the test group: Physical fatigue level was significantly higher in night shift than that in day or evening shift of the control group(P<.001). Mental fatigue level was significantly higher in day or night shift than that in evening shift of the control group(P<.05). In the neuro-sensory fatigue level, test group showed higher tendency than that in the control group, but there were no significant differences between two groups. 3) The total fatigue level was higher in night shift than that in day shift or evening shift(P<.05). In comparing with the control group, night shift and day shift showed higher total fatigue level than that in the control group(p<0.05). 2. The concentration of urinary 17-KS, $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ In the control group, urinary 17-KS, $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ showed higher level in afternoon that in morning and night. In the test group, cr in day and evening shift and $Na^+$ in evening shift showed higher level at the end of work. The 17-KS concentration at the begining and the end of work in three shift groups were lower than those in control group(p<0.05), however, $Cl^-$ concentration at the begining of work in day shift, and the end of work in day and evening shift were higher than those in control group(p<0.05). $Cl^-$ concentration at the begining and end of work in night shift were considerably higher than those in control group repectively(p<0.1, p<001). $Na^+$ concentration showed a higher tendency in three shift groups except at the begining of work in night shift, but there were no statistical difference. In comparing concentration of the 17-KS, $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ among the shift groups, 17-KS concentration showed a lower tendency and $Na^+,\;Cl^-$ showed a higher tendency in night shift: The result of this study showes that biorhythm of shift work nurse was irregular. Fatigue level as the subjective index for evaluating the health problem concerning shift work was higher in night shift and proved to be in accordance with the concentration of urinary 17-KS, $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ used as objective indices. Disturbation of biorhythm and work stress due to night shift seems to cause the health problem of nurses and decrease of work efficiency. It is considered that work regualtion is necessary for the rational management of the nursing administration.