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Biomedical subjects

S Folkard

Publications and source records attributed to S Folkard.

103 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Advancing versus delaying shift systems.

Two hundred and sixty-one shiftworkers from a range of UK industrial and service organizations, took part in a study to determine the impact of the direction of shift rotation on the health and well-being of the individuals concerned. All the systems were continuous, rotating over three shifts. Systems were classified according to whether they delayed (i.e., rotated in a forward direction) or advanced (i.e., rotated in a backward direction). In addition, advancing systems were divided into those which incorporated a quick return (i.e., a break of only 8 h when changing from one shift to another) and those which did not. The results add some support for the use of delaying as opposed to advancing systems, and highlight the detrimental effects of incorporating a quick return into an advancing system.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Does the 'forbidden zone' for sleep onset influence morning shift sleep duration?

Shiftwork researchers have concentrated on the problems on the night shift, and have tended to neglect the truncation of sleep that can occur before morning, or 'early', shifts. We examined the sleep timing and duration between morning shifts of shiftworkers on a variety of shift systems. The extent of morning shift sleep truncation depended very largely on the time at which individuals had to leave home. Further, there was some suggestive evidence that the failure of individuals to compensate by going to sleep earlier was not simply due to social pressures to stay up. Rather it would appear to have depended, at least in part, on the biological clock determined 'forbidden zone' for sleep that occurs shortly before habitual sleep onset.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The relationship between coping strategies and GHQ-scores in nurses.

This paper discusses the development of a situation specific questionnaire for measuring coping with shiftwork. Previously, no standardized measure appears to have been developed, even though coping behaviour is considered to be an important factor in determining tolerance to shiftwork. The results from this study indicated that the present questionnaire may have some potential. Its psychometric qualities were relatively good. Coping scores were related to psychological health, measured by GHQ-12. Analysis of variance showed a main effect of only one of the subscales (disengagement strategies) on GHQ and also a reliable interaction between disengagement and engagement on GHQ-scores. Further research into the effect of coping strategies on shiftwork tolerance is suggested.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Dissecting circadian performance rhythms: implications for shiftwork.

Safety on shift systems will depend, at least in part, on the adjustment of shiftworkers' circadian (c.24h) rhythms in performance capabilities which will in turn depend on their underlying control. In the present study three volunteers lived on a 30h 'day' and performed a range of tasks every 2h (while awake) to allow estimates of the relative magnitude of the endogenous (body clock) and exogenous (masking) components of their rhythms to be made. Performance rhythms were found to differ considerably in this respect with, for example, speed on a 4-choice serial reaction time task appearing to be largely endogenously determined while that on a 5-target Sternberg task was more dependent on exogenous (i.e., 30h) factors. This implies that performance measures may adjust at very different rates to one another to night work, and hence that the optimal form of shift system may vary according to the precise demands of the shiftworker's task.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The perceptions and feelings of shiftworkers' partners.

The views and feelings of shiftworkers' partners are rarely sought in shiftwork research. For this study, the partners of UK nuclear power shiftworkers were surveyed in relation to how their spouse's shiftwork affected them personally. A sizeable proportion of partners reported being unhappy with their spouse's shiftwork and that their lives were disrupted quite substantially by it. Partners were also asked for their perceptions of the shiftworkers' shift-related problems. Importantly, it would appear that shiftwork had a significant negative impact upon the lives of the partners. In view of these results and the relative paucity of research in this area, future investigation of the effects of unusual work hours upon shiftworkers' partners and families is warranted.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Have we underestimated shiftworkers' problems? Evidence from a 'reminiscence' study.

This paper argues that shiftworkers may have gradually habituated to their problems and hence that they underestimate them. Some support for this view was obtained in a 'reminiscence' questionnaire study of retired UK Police Officers who had all subsequently taken on another (mainly day-time) job. They completed a specially constructed questionnaire, which included several measures of health and well being, and in which they were asked to reminisce about how they had felt while still a shiftworker. These reminiscence scores were compared to their current perception of how they were. The results clearly indicated that individuals in retrospect perceive their situation as being worse than they realised at the time. This effect was most marked for scores on the General Health Questionnaire and Chronic Fatigue scale. The results of this study draw attention to a potential confounding in much of the shiftwork literature which demands further, more detailed, investigation.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Is there an optimum number of night shifts? Relationship between sleep, health and well-being.

By concentrating on the impact of a specific shift-system feature on the well-being of those concerned, rather than on the impact of the shift system as a whole, one might be able to offer more meaningful suggestions as to what constitutes a better form of shift system. The present study focused on the impact of the number of consecutive night shifts worked on the health and well-being of two groups of nurses (permanent night and rotating shift). All nurses completed a copy of the Standard Shiftwork Index, which is a set of questionnaires designed for comparing the effects of different types of shift system on large groups of workers. It includes measurements of psychological ill-health, physical ill-health, chronic fatigue, social and domestic disruption, attitudes towards shiftwork, sleep quality and sleep habits. Results showed clearly the impact of the number of consecutive nights worked on health and well-being, not directly, but indirectly through the impact on sleep duration and sleep quality. Sleep duration was shown to increase with more consecutive nights worked. This in turn was found to predict sleep quality, which in turn was found to be the stronger direct predictor of psychological and physical ill-health i.e. better health was associated with longer and better quality sleeps. Explanations in terms of circadian adaptation are discussed.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Chronobiology and shift work: current issues and trends.

This paper reviews the main findings concerning the problems associated with shift work. A conceptual model is presented in which these problems are classified into 3 main interrelated domains, medical, biological and social. The biological problems are evidenced in disturbed rhythms and sleep, the medical problems in improved objective and, in particular, subjective health, and the social problems in impoverished family and social life. While some of these problems are argued to be relatively avoidable, others are considered to be more basic and to stem from the disturbances of circadian rhythms and the sleep/wake cycle. Three main types of intervention are discussed that might alleviate the shift workers' problems. These centre on the type of shift system, the scheduling of zeitgebers or synchronizers, and the counselling of individuals.

Body Temperature Regulation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Circadian rhythms in human performance and affective state.

After reviewing earlier contributions to the understanding of the physiology of circadian system in man, in particular his cognitive aspects, we report on own studies obtained using the fractional desynchronization technique to induce internal desynchronization in man. These results show that in temporal isolation studies, rhythms in some performance measures follow a period of about 21 hours, even when the subject's physiological rhythms are apparently synchronized to the 24 hour day. These data are discussed in relationship to current theoretical frameworks in chronobiology.

Affect↗