Psychosocial Risk Factors at Work and Sleep Quality in Healthcare Workers – A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective To investigate psychosocial factors at work, sleep characteristics, and the correlation between these aspects in healthcare workers. Material and methods A cross-sectional e-survey study was conducted with 125 workers of the Brazilian healthcare system, mostly from the Southeast region, from June 2021 to April 2022. Self-administered questionnaires in Google Forms were used to collect data on personal and occupational characteristics, psychosocial factors (Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire), and sleep quality (Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index). Descriptive statistics and a point biserial correlation test were performed. Results The most reported factors in the risk zone were burnout (86%), stress (81%), emotional demands (75%), work pace (61%), and work-family conflicts (55%). Most participants were classified as poor sleepers (74%), especially nursing technicians/assistants (86%). Burnout (rpb = 0.33) and inadequate predictability (rpb = 0.30) were associated with poor sleep quality. Conclusion Intervention strategies to decrease burnout and increase predictability at work may assist in improving sleep quality among healthcare workers.