0313 Is Healthy Sleep Possible for Professional Firefighters? A Comparison of "On-Duty" and "Off-Duty" Sleep Quantity and Quality. (27th May 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dautovich, N D; Dzierzewski, J; Sabet, S; Soto, P; Donovan, E; Kleva, C
• Is Part Of: Sleep. Volume 43(2020)Supplement 1
• Page Start: A118
• Page End: A118
• Publication Date: 2020-05-27
• Subjects: Sleep -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Sleep disorders -- Periodicals; Sommeil -- Aspect physiologique -- Périodiques; Sommeil, Troubles du -- Périodiques; Sleep disorders; Sleep -- Physiological aspects; Sleep -- physiological aspects; Sleep Wake Disorders; Psychophysiology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 616.8498
• DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsaa056.310
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0161-8105

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Healthy sleep is vital for firefighter safety, health, wellness, and for public well-being. However, professional firefighters experience disturbed sleep at disproportionately high rates. The current study investigated whether firefighters can obtain healthy sleep by identifying (1) differences in sleep while "on-duty" and "off-duty" and (2) risk factors for poor sleep. Methods: Professional firefighters in Richmond, Virginia's Department of Fire and Emergency Services ( N =268), reported their sleep using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) both on- and off-duty. Good and poor sleepers were identified using the PSQI global score cutoff of 5. Demographic and STOP-BANG questionnaires were also completed. Results: Using a repeated measures MANOVA, on-duty sleep was significantly worse compared to off-duty sleep across PSQI component and global scores F (7, 253)=45.24 p <.001, η²=.56. On-duty, 76.1% of firefighters were classified as poor sleepers compared to 42.9% off-duty. 34.7% were reclassified as good sleepers or stayed good sleepers (22.4%) when off-duty. A sizeable minority experienced consistently poor sleep while on- and off-duty (41.4%), and a small number reported worse sleep when off-duty (1.5%). More night calls and poorer self-rated mental health predicted worse on-duty sleep ( p <.001) and poorer self-rated mental health predicted worse off-duty sleep ( p <.001). Conclusion: Healthy sleep is possible for professional firefighters. Almost a quarter of the sample was classified as "good sleepers" on-duty and over half were classified as "good sleepers" off-duty. Nonetheless, sleep on-duty was significantly worse overall, with over a third of the sample experiencing consistently poor sleep. When working a 24-hour variable shift schedule, it appears that poor sleep may "carryover" from on-duty to off-duty. Poorer self-rated mental health and more night calls were identified as risk factors. Further research is needed to probe risk and protective factors within this population. Support: N/A