1076 Does Shift-Work Moderate the Relationship Between Sleep Disturbances and Anxiety Symptoms?

Abstract Introduction Shift-working nurses routinely encounter circadian misalignment and occupational stress, factors that may contribute to disrupted sleep and greater psychological distress. Substantial evidence shows that anxiety and sleep disturbance frequently co-occur, yet it remains unclear whether shift-work status alters the strength of this association. Because shift-working nurses operate under chronically unstable circadian conditions, one possibility is that the anxiety–sleep relationship may be stronger among shift workers compared to non–shift workers. Methods A sample of 477 nurses completed the survey. Of these, 162 nurses (35.7%; rounded to 36%) worked night shifts, and 292 nurses (64.3%) worked non night shifts. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) were completed. Linear regression models were used to examine the association between anxiety symptoms and sleep disturbance, as well as whether shift-work status moderated this association. Both unadjusted and covariate-adjusted models were evaluated. Results Higher anxiety levels were associated with greater sleep disturbance (β = 0.20, SE = 0.036, 95% CI [0.13, 0.27], p < .001). Shift-work status showed a small positive association with sleep disturbance (β = 0.64, p = .062), though this association was not statistically significant. The interaction between anxiety and shift-work status was also non-significant, indicating that the strength of the anxiety–sleep relationship was similar for shift-working and non–shift- working nurses. Conclusion Anxiety was consistently associated with poorer sleep quality among nurses, regardless of shift- work status. Although shift-working nurses exhibited slightly higher sleep disturbance overall, shift-work did not alter the association between anxiety and sleep. Interventions that address anxiety—such as CBT, MBCT, and stress-regulation strategies—may therefore support sleep health across nursing roles. Future studies should examine PSQI component scores and longitudinal patterns to clarify whether specific aspects of sleep are more sensitive to shift- related demands. Support (if any) N/A