Shift work sleep disorder and its effects on neurocognitive function in young physicians

Abstract Background Sleep deprivation is commonly reported among health care professionals due to irregularity in duty hours which may affect neurocognitive functions. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD) and its association with cognitive levels among young physicians working in shifts in various health care departments. Methods This cross-sectional survey was conducted in various tertiary care hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan. Data from 230 young doctors were collected through purposive sampling. The International classification of sleep disorders (ICSD-2) based questionnaire and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to diagnose SWSD while the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) Scale was used for cognitive status. Both the scales have a high reliability coefficient showing good internal consistency. Association of SWSD and MMSE was analyzed using logistic regression model. Results The mean age of the sample was 26.15 ± 2.4 years with 131 females on board. The prevalence of SWSD was found to be 59% among which 33% had mild neurocognitive impairment. As none of the participants scored high on MMSE therefore the scores of MMSE were dichotomized as no and mild neurocognitive impairment for the logistic regression model. The odds of having mild neurocognitive impairment were 5.313 times higher among subjects with SWSD (95% CI, 2.370 and 11.923; p-value < 0.001) in the unadjusted model. In the fully adjusted model, the odds became stronger and statistically significant (AOR 6.827, 95% CI, 2.629 and 17.731; p-value < 0.001). Conclusion SWSD due to long working hours are common among house officers and resident doctors and is highly associated with mild neurocognitive impairment which highlights the need for the development of health promotion interventions for this vulnerable population.