Night work and health related quality of life: a study on nurses

Background The quality of job on the evaluation of influence in the health of workers is important both of medical and social implications. We studied the health related quality of life (HRQL) in nurses who perform their activity in night shifts. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between October- November 2014. Nursing who attend night shift in the Siena Teaching Hospital (AOUS) were sampled using EpiInfo software (confidence interval 95 %) and investigated with SF-36 Questionnaire. Our results were compared with the Italian general population (Apolone, 1997). A Descriptive analysis were conducted. Wilcoxon test, Pearson coefficient, t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used for the statistical investigation. Results 211 questionnaires were analysed. Females were the 71.7%; mean age was 39.2 years (DS 8,7); smokers were 37.8% and 46.2% were commutes. The time taken to reach the place of work appeard to influence the dimension of General Health (coeff.0.115714); for every minute spend in travel it has a worsening of 0.156 points of this dimension. Male gender scored higher compared with the female one in all dimensions of physical and mental health (p < 0.05). Older nurses and the ones with more working years had better score in Physical Pain dimension. AOUS nurses scored significantly (p < 0.05) less compared with the correspondent Italian general population in: Physical Pain, General Health, Vitality, Social Activity and Mental Health. On the contrary, Physical Activity scored higher. 8th European Public Health Conference: Poster Displays 387 Conclusions There is a significant relationship between night work and HRQL of nurses. The health profile of AOUS nurses’ ranks below the values of the Italian general population especially in the dimensions related to mental and social functions. This disadvantage is sufficiently offset by better remuneration for night work?