Sleep quality assessment in emergency health professionals

A descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational study, carried out in the units of the Mobile Emergency Care Service (SAMU) and in the Emergency Care Unit (ECU), in 2021, with 108 participants. To assess sleep quality, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Brazilian version (PSQI-BR), was used; to assess fatigue, the Chalder Fatigue Scale was used, together with the Need for Recovery Scale (NFR); and to assess quality of life, the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-bref) was used, and the instruments used were adapted to Portuguese in previous studies. Association tests were applied for statistical analysis, using Pearson’s chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test or Kruskal Wallis and Spearman’s correlation. P-values <0.05 were considered significant.

Results

It was identified that 72.2% of participants had poor sleep quality and 75.9% were fatigued. A significant association was observed between sleep quality and fatigue, the need for recovery and quality of life.

Conclusion

It was identified that health professionals working in emergency services have poor sleep quality and life, and high levels of fatigue and need for recovery, which can directly impact their personal and professional activities.

Sleep wake disorders; Shift work schedule; Fatigue; Health personnel; Emergency medical services; Quality of life; Rest

Variables	PSQI-BR (n=108)		p-value*
Variables	Good sleep quality (n=30)	Poor sleep quality (n=78)	p-value*
Age group
Between 18 and 35 years	36.7	43.6
Between 36 and 45 years	36.7	38.5
Between 46 and 65 years	26.6	17.9	0.584
Sex
Male	40.0	35.9
Female	60.0	64.1	0.693
Occupation
Nursing technician	43.3	52.6
Nurse	30.0	20.5
Doctor	26.7	26.9	0.545
Working time in service
Up to 05 years	40.0	47.4
More than 05 years	60.0	52.6	0.785
Workload
Up to 44 hours weekly	16.7	11.5
From 44 to 80 hours weekly	60.0	66.7
Mais de 80 hours weekly	23.3	21.8	0.737
Shift
Day	36.7	41.0
Night	23.3	33.3
Rotation	40.0	25.6	0.313

Variables	Chalder Fatigue Scale		p-value*	Need for Recovery Scale		p-value*
Variables	Fatigued (n=82)	Non-fatigued (n=26)	p-value*	High need for recovery (n=73)	Low need for recovery (n=35)	p-value*
Age group
Between 18 and 35 years	40.2	46.2	0.606	42.5	40.0	0.591
Between 36 and 45 years	36.6	42.3		39.7	34.3
Between 46 and 65 years	23.2	11.5		17.8	25.7
Sex
Male	36.6	38.5	0.863	31.5	48.6	0.086
Female	63.4	61.5	0.863	68.5	51.4	0.086
Occupation
Nursing technician	53.7	38.5	0.388	41.1	68.6
Nurse	22.0	26.9		30.1	8.6	0.013
Doctor	24.4	34.6		28.8	22.9	0.013
Working time in service
Up to 05 years	41.5	57.7	0.339	48.0	40.0	0.681
More than 05 years	58.5	42.3	0.339	52.0	60.0	0.681
Shift
Day	76.7	23.3	0.462	76.7	23.3	0.090
Night	81.8	18.2		69.7	30.3
Rotation	68.8	31.3		53.1	46.9
Workload
Up to 44 hours weekly	13.4	11.5	0.967	61.8	38.2	0.250
From 44 to 80 hours weekly	64.6	65.4		76.1	23.9
More than 80 hours weekly	22.0	23.1		57.1	42.9
Chalder Fatigue Scale
Fatigued	-	-		73.2	26.8	0.028
Non-fatigued	-	-		50.0	50.0	0.028

	PSQI-BR (n=108)
	Chalder		NFR		WHOQOL-bref
	Fatigued	Fatigued	High need for recovery	Low need for recovery	“Physical” domain	“Psychological” domain	“Social relationships” domain	“Environment” domain
	%	%	%	%	* Median and quartiles
Good sleep quality (n=30)	56.7	43.3	53.3	46.7	4.3 (4.1 – 4.6)	4.3 (4.1 – 4.6)	4.3 (4.1 – 4.6)	4.3 (4.1 – 4.6)
Poor sleep quality (n=78)	83.3	16.7	73.1	26.9	3.7 (3.3 – 4.1)	3.7 (3.3 – 4.1)	3.7 (3.3 – 4.1)	3.7 (3.3 – 4.1)
p-value	0.004*		0.050*		<0.001†	<0.001†	<0.001†	<0.001†

Escola Paulista de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de São Paulo R. Napoleão de Barros, 754, 04024-002 São Paulo - SP/Brasil, Tel./Fax: (55 11) 5576 4430 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: actapaulista@unifesp.br

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[1] Corresponding author Vivian dos Anjos Azambuja E-mail: viviananjosazam@hotmail.com