Volume 29, Issue 165, November 2025

The impact of shift work on the health of healthcare workers an observational study

Łukasz Karaś^1♦, Izabella Prządo¹, Patrycja Patronik¹, Sabina Krupa-Nurcek¹

¹Medical College of the University of Rzeszów, Faculty of Medicine, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Łukasz Karaś, Postal address: St. Eugeniusza Nazimka 2/69, Rzeszow 35-302, Poland

ABSTRACT

Background: Shift work, being an integral part of healthacare systems, constitutes a significant risk factor for the mental and physical health of healthcare personel, exposing tchem to negative health consequences. Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to charactize the spectrum of health effects resulting from exposure to shift work in this population. Material and methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 100 healthcare workers in February 2024. Data were collected using a standardized questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics, job characteristics, and selected health indicators, including insomnia symptoms using the Athens Insomnia Scale. Results: Shift workers dominated the study group (82%). Tha analysis revealed that shift work was significantly associated with higher incidence of irritability and fatigue. Furthermore, long-term shift work was associasted with a higher incidence of sleep problems. Subjective health assessment was rated as „good” by 50% of respondents. Conclusion: No statistically significant correlation was found between shift work and the occurrence of cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disorders, or abnormal body weight. However, shift workers were significantly more likely to report amoking, with no differences in the frequency of alcohol consumption.

Keywords: insomnia; shift work; health of healthcare workers

Medical Science, 2025, 29, e213ms3662

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v29i165.e213ms3662

Published: 11 November 2025