Quality of Sleep and Work Productivity among White-Collar Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic
<i>Background and Objectives</i>: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted routine sleep and work patterns in the general population. We conducted an anonymous online survey among white-collar workers from various finance, IT and technology companies in Lithuania to define factors associated...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Medicina |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/58/7/883 |
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| author | Emilijus Žilinskas Kristijonas Puteikis Rūta Mameniškienė |
| author_facet | Emilijus Žilinskas Kristijonas Puteikis Rūta Mameniškienė |
| author_sort | Emilijus Žilinskas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Background and Objectives</i>: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted routine sleep and work patterns in the general population. We conducted an anonymous online survey among white-collar workers from various finance, IT and technology companies in Lithuania to define factors associated with worse sleep quality and diminished productivity during a COVID-19 lockdown. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: Employees of selected companies in Lithuania completed an anonymous questionnaire online that included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), The Sleep Locus of Control (SLOC), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7), and the World Health Organization’s Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (WHO-HPQ). Respondents also provided information about their sleep hygiene, physical activity and alcohol use. <i>Results</i>: Data of 114 respondents (56, 49.1% male) were used for analysis. Among them, 49 (43.0%) suffered from poor sleep and 29 (25.4%) had clinically relevant levels of anxiety. However, there were only negligible levels of absenteeism in the sample (a median of zero hours of work lost over the past month). In a stepwise linear regression model (F(5,108) = 11.457, <i>p</i> < 0.001, R<sup>2</sup><sub>adj</sub> = 0.316), high levels of anxiety, daily hours spent using the screen, use of electronic devices in the bedroom, smoking in the evening, and COVID-19-related changes in appetite were associated with worse sleep quality. Absenteeism was associated with physical activity of moderate intensity and decreased self-reported productivity during the pandemic (F(2,111) = 7.570, <i>p</i> = 0.001, R<sup>2</sup><sub>adj</sub> = 0.104). However, there was no strong relationship between sleep-related variables (i.e., sleep hygiene, sleep locus of control, quality of sleep) or levels of anxiety and measures of work productivity. <i>Conclusions</i>: Our findings suggest that while bad sleep hygiene, anxiety, and changes in appetite are associated with worse sleep quality among white-collar workers during the pandemic, work productivity may remain high irrespective of disrupted sleep. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:15:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2f5bd1efbeaf4933bc8203b972ac40ee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1010-660X 1648-9144 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:15:11Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Medicina |
| spelling | doaj.art-2f5bd1efbeaf4933bc8203b972ac40ee2023-12-01T22:25:12ZengMDPI AGMedicina1010-660X1648-91442022-07-0158788310.3390/medicina58070883Quality of Sleep and Work Productivity among White-Collar Workers during the COVID-19 PandemicEmilijus Žilinskas0Kristijonas Puteikis1Rūta Mameniškienė2Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, LithuaniaFaculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, LithuaniaCenter for Neurology, Vilnius University, 08661 Vilnius, Lithuania<i>Background and Objectives</i>: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted routine sleep and work patterns in the general population. We conducted an anonymous online survey among white-collar workers from various finance, IT and technology companies in Lithuania to define factors associated with worse sleep quality and diminished productivity during a COVID-19 lockdown. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: Employees of selected companies in Lithuania completed an anonymous questionnaire online that included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), The Sleep Locus of Control (SLOC), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7), and the World Health Organization’s Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (WHO-HPQ). Respondents also provided information about their sleep hygiene, physical activity and alcohol use. <i>Results</i>: Data of 114 respondents (56, 49.1% male) were used for analysis. Among them, 49 (43.0%) suffered from poor sleep and 29 (25.4%) had clinically relevant levels of anxiety. However, there were only negligible levels of absenteeism in the sample (a median of zero hours of work lost over the past month). In a stepwise linear regression model (F(5,108) = 11.457, <i>p</i> < 0.001, R<sup>2</sup><sub>adj</sub> = 0.316), high levels of anxiety, daily hours spent using the screen, use of electronic devices in the bedroom, smoking in the evening, and COVID-19-related changes in appetite were associated with worse sleep quality. Absenteeism was associated with physical activity of moderate intensity and decreased self-reported productivity during the pandemic (F(2,111) = 7.570, <i>p</i> = 0.001, R<sup>2</sup><sub>adj</sub> = 0.104). However, there was no strong relationship between sleep-related variables (i.e., sleep hygiene, sleep locus of control, quality of sleep) or levels of anxiety and measures of work productivity. <i>Conclusions</i>: Our findings suggest that while bad sleep hygiene, anxiety, and changes in appetite are associated with worse sleep quality among white-collar workers during the pandemic, work productivity may remain high irrespective of disrupted sleep.https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/58/7/883absenteeismanxietylockdownpresenteeismsleep locus of control |
| spellingShingle | Emilijus Žilinskas Kristijonas Puteikis Rūta Mameniškienė Quality of Sleep and Work Productivity among White-Collar Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic Medicina absenteeism anxiety lockdown presenteeism sleep locus of control |
| title | Quality of Sleep and Work Productivity among White-Collar Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full | Quality of Sleep and Work Productivity among White-Collar Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Quality of Sleep and Work Productivity among White-Collar Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quality of Sleep and Work Productivity among White-Collar Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_short | Quality of Sleep and Work Productivity among White-Collar Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_sort | quality of sleep and work productivity among white collar workers during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | absenteeism anxiety lockdown presenteeism sleep locus of control |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/58/7/883 |
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