Sleep problems in Japanese industrial workers

• Published in: Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences Vol. 54; no. 3; pp. 294 - 295
• Main Authors: Inoue, Yuichi, Hiroe, Yu, Nishida, Masahiro, Shirakawa, Shuichiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne, Australia Blackwell Science Pty 01.06.2000; Blackwell Publishing
• Subjects: accident; Adult; Attention; Biological and medical sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Employees; Female; Humans; hypersomnia; Incidence; industrial worker; Industries; insomnia; Japan; Japan - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nervous system involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous; Neurology; Occupational Diseases - diagnosis; Occupational Diseases - epidemiology; shift work; Shiftwork; Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm - diagnosis; Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm - epidemiology; Sleep problems; Work Capacity Evaluation; Work Schedule Tolerance; Asia; Japan; Human; Nervous system diseases; Hypersomnia; Prevalence; Physical performance; Vehicle driving; Sleep disorder; Epidemiology; Shift work; Industry; Occupational environment; Somnolence; Sleep; Insomnia; Worker; Neurological disorder; Occupational medicine; Public health
• ISSN: 1323-1316; 1440-1819
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-1819.2000.00684.x

In order to investigate the prevalence of a disordered condition due to shift work (DCSW) and the influence of sleep disorders on the performance of working and driving, a preliminary questionnaire was conducted on industrial workers. Among 332 shift workers, 110 (33.1%) were found to suffer from DCSW. Subjects with DCSW were found to be working shorter periods in shift work than were subjects without DCSW. The rate of sleepiness‐related troubles while driving and working were highest in the subjects with probable hypersomnia. This finding encourages the need for early diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders among industrial workers.