8291066 Shifts happen: shift-specific job demands among hospital workers in the 1001 nights-cohort

<h3>Objective</h3> Job demands in hospital environments may vary across shifts and work schedules. Identifying where demands are highest can help guide targeted prevention to reduce work strain and schedule-specific health risks. This study examined how perceived job demands differ by shift type and work schedule. <h3>Material and Methods</h3> We used data from 966 employees in the 1001 nights-cohort - a study of female hospital workers in Denmark. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire and daily reports on working hours and physical, quantitative, and emotional demands (scale: 1–10). Analyses included participants with complete data on exposures and key covariates (age, education, Major Depression Inventory score, BMI, and shift duration). Mixed-effects models estimated differences in mean job demands across shift types (day or night) and work schedule-groups (permanent day, 2-shift without night, 2- or 3-shift with night, permanent night). Within-person analyses included participants with both day and night shift data. <h3>Results</h3> On day shifts, 2-shift workers without night and 2- or 3-shift workers with night reported higher job demands compared to permanent day workers. The largest difference was observed in physical demands (+1.32, 95% CI: 0.93 to 1.71) among 2-shift workers without night. On night shifts, no differences were observed between permanent night workers and 2- or 3-shift workers. Within-person comparisons showed that night shifts were perceived as less demanding - both quantitatively (-0.28, 95% CI: -0.42 to -0.13) and emotionally (-0.51, 95% CI: -0.65 to -0.37) - than day shifts. <h3>Conclusion</h3> 2- or 3-shift workers - with and without night - reported higher job demands on day shifts. Preventive measures may be more effective if tailored to specific shifts and work schedules. Further research should investigate whether differences in perceived job demands reflect actual job demands or are influenced by shift-related fatigue.