The Impact of Duty Hour Limits on Sleep Quality of Resident: A Cross-sectional Study

Objectives: Resident physicians are particularly prone to sleep disturbance due to long shift hours and excessive workload. Despite the numerous measures undertaken to improve their wellbeing, it is still unknown if limiting the work shift duration would improve sleep quality. We sought to compare s...

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Main Authors: Roa’a Jaradat, Amro Lahlouh, Belal Aldabbour, Alaa Saadeh, Mohamed Mustafa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Oman Medical Specialty Board 2022-07-01
Series:Oman Medical Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://omjournal.org/articleDetails.aspx?coType=1&aId=3156
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author Roa’a Jaradat
Amro Lahlouh
Belal Aldabbour
Alaa Saadeh
Mohamed Mustafa
author_facet Roa’a Jaradat
Amro Lahlouh
Belal Aldabbour
Alaa Saadeh
Mohamed Mustafa
author_sort Roa’a Jaradat
collection DOAJ
description Objectives: Resident physicians are particularly prone to sleep disturbance due to long shift hours and excessive workload. Despite the numerous measures undertaken to improve their wellbeing, it is still unknown if limiting the work shift duration would improve sleep quality. We sought to compare sleep quality, anxiety, and depression before and after implementing duty hour limits. We also aim to evaluate how satisfaction with life is related to sleep quality, anxiety, and depression. Methods: We used a self-reported questionnaire to obtain data about sleep quality, anxiety, and depression using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) scales, respectively. Using data from a previous study, we compared those parameters before and after implementing duty hour reduction across several specialties at King Abdullah University Hospital, Jordan. Furthermore, we investigated residents’ life satisfaction using the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Results: One hundred and eighty residents filled the questionnaire (median age = 26.5 years). Males reported higher rates of poor sleep quality while females had higher rates of anxiety and depression. Decreasing the duration of on-call shifts from 32 to 24 hours decreased the prevalence of poor sleep quality from 91.5% to 83.2% (p =0.038), and smoking rates decreased from 30.4% to 12.5% (p < 0.001). More than six on-calls per month were associated with poorer quality of sleep. Night float shifts significantly decreased rates of moderate and severe PHQ-4 scores (p < 0.001). In addition, 63.3% of residents were satisfied with life. Life satisfaction was associated with enhanced sleep quality and lower PHQ-4 scores (p =0.007 and p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Optimizing shift scheduling and duration can positively influence rates of sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and smoking. More interventions should be tackled along with duty hour limits to optimize residents’ life satisfaction.
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spelling doaj.art-73df76e903bc4d0ab52428b1f8bb24f62022-12-22T03:01:55ZengOman Medical Specialty BoardOman Medical Journal1999-768X2070-52042022-07-01374e403e40310.5001/omj.2022.78The Impact of Duty Hour Limits on Sleep Quality of Resident: A Cross-sectional StudyRoa’a Jaradat0Amro Lahlouh1Belal Aldabbour2Alaa Saadeh3Mohamed Mustafa4Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Neuroscience, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza, PalestineDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, JordanDepartment of Neuroscience, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan; Neuroscience research unit, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, UKObjectives: Resident physicians are particularly prone to sleep disturbance due to long shift hours and excessive workload. Despite the numerous measures undertaken to improve their wellbeing, it is still unknown if limiting the work shift duration would improve sleep quality. We sought to compare sleep quality, anxiety, and depression before and after implementing duty hour limits. We also aim to evaluate how satisfaction with life is related to sleep quality, anxiety, and depression. Methods: We used a self-reported questionnaire to obtain data about sleep quality, anxiety, and depression using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) scales, respectively. Using data from a previous study, we compared those parameters before and after implementing duty hour reduction across several specialties at King Abdullah University Hospital, Jordan. Furthermore, we investigated residents’ life satisfaction using the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Results: One hundred and eighty residents filled the questionnaire (median age = 26.5 years). Males reported higher rates of poor sleep quality while females had higher rates of anxiety and depression. Decreasing the duration of on-call shifts from 32 to 24 hours decreased the prevalence of poor sleep quality from 91.5% to 83.2% (p =0.038), and smoking rates decreased from 30.4% to 12.5% (p < 0.001). More than six on-calls per month were associated with poorer quality of sleep. Night float shifts significantly decreased rates of moderate and severe PHQ-4 scores (p < 0.001). In addition, 63.3% of residents were satisfied with life. Life satisfaction was associated with enhanced sleep quality and lower PHQ-4 scores (p =0.007 and p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Optimizing shift scheduling and duration can positively influence rates of sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and smoking. More interventions should be tackled along with duty hour limits to optimize residents’ life satisfaction. https://omjournal.org/articleDetails.aspx?coType=1&aId=3156sleep qualityinternship and residencyworkloadphysicianswork schedule tolerance
spellingShingle Roa’a Jaradat
Amro Lahlouh
Belal Aldabbour
Alaa Saadeh
Mohamed Mustafa
The Impact of Duty Hour Limits on Sleep Quality of Resident: A Cross-sectional Study
Oman Medical Journal
sleep quality
internship and residency
workload
physicians
work schedule tolerance
title The Impact of Duty Hour Limits on Sleep Quality of Resident: A Cross-sectional Study
title_full The Impact of Duty Hour Limits on Sleep Quality of Resident: A Cross-sectional Study
title_fullStr The Impact of Duty Hour Limits on Sleep Quality of Resident: A Cross-sectional Study
title_full_unstemmed The Impact of Duty Hour Limits on Sleep Quality of Resident: A Cross-sectional Study
title_short The Impact of Duty Hour Limits on Sleep Quality of Resident: A Cross-sectional Study
title_sort impact of duty hour limits on sleep quality of resident a cross sectional study
topic sleep quality
internship and residency
workload
physicians
work schedule tolerance
url https://omjournal.org/articleDetails.aspx?coType=1&aId=3156
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