Does today’s workload predict tomorrow’s stress, fatigue, and other strain states? Exploring directionality in daily dynamics

We examined whether whole day workload predicts strain (e.g. stress, fatigue, impaired cognition) experienced on the next day, and/or whether strain predicts next-day workload. Data were analysed (using dynamic structural equation models) from 196 adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) who completed two weeks of 5 to 6 daily ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys. Workload was assessed with a version of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) adapted for the whole day context. Higher overall workload during the day predicted a shorter sleep duration that night, as well as increased fatigue and slower perceptual speed the next day. In turn, increased stress, fatigue, and shorter sleep duration on one day predicted a higher perceived workload the following day. Among adults with T1D, strain and workload appear to reinforce each other across days, suggesting a potential feedback loop that may escalate if recovery is insufficient.