A  Survey of Shift Work and Work Ability Index among Nurses:  A Case Study in Educational Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran

LEILA IBRAHIMI GHAVAMABADI1; BEHZAD  FOULADI DEHAGHI; BEHNOUSH JAFARI

doi:10.18502/ijoh.v13i2.8370

LEILA IBRAHIMI GHAVAMABADI1 Department of Environment Management-HSE, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran
BEHZAD FOULADI DEHAGHI Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Iran., Ahvaz, Iran
BEHNOUSH JAFARI Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijoh.v13i2.8370

Keywords: Shift Work, Work Ability Index, Nurses

Abstract

Shift work is a social phenomenon with adverse effects on the lives and health of people in various aspects. This adverse effect decreases shift workers’ ability over a time period. The aim of the present study was to survey disturbances due to shift work and some disorders associated with work ability index among nurses in educational hospitals, Ahvaz, Iran. This cross-sectional survey was conducted among 33 nurses at the Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran. The survey of shift workers questionnaire (SOS) and the Work Ability Index (WAI) questionnaire was used as data collection tools. The related data was analyzed based on the descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation test, and Spearman correlation test using IBM SPSS software version 19. The results showed that 97% of problems related to the effects of shift work on the individuals’ lives, families, and musculoskeletal disorders, 87.9% related to insomnia and social problems, and 75.8% related to mental disorders. Although it showed a significant relationship between the workability index with the variable of experience and mental disorders, it showed no significant relationship between the prevalence of insomnia and musculoskeletal disorders variables. The results of this study showed that shift working disrupts mental, social, and physical health that ultimately adversely affect the ability of shift workers. Therefore, it was recommended to adjust working hours and allocate the appropriate shifts to improve the workability of individuals.