The physical work environment and sleep: a latent class analysis

Authors

Christopher A. Magee, University of WollongongFollow
Vinodkumar Gopaldasani, University of WollongongFollow
Shahnaz Bakand, University of WollongongFollow
Robyn Coman, University of WollongongFollow

RIS ID

139394

Publication Details

Magee, C. A., Gopaldasani, V., Bakand, S. & Coman, R. (2018). The physical work environment and sleep: a latent class analysis. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine,

Abstract

: To investigate the relationships between the physical work environment and sleep using a person-centered approach. Methods: A total of 542 Australian employees aged 18 to 60 years completed a survey assessing exposure to physical work environment stressors (eg, noise, poor air quality, and hazardous manual tasks), sleep timing and sleep quality, and relevant covariates. Results: Latent class analysis (LCA) revealed three physical work environment classes: Infrequent exposure (51%); Occasional Exposure (31%); and Regular Exposure (18%). LCA also identified four sleep classes: Larks (24%); Typical sleep (43%); Insufficient sleep (20%); and Owls (13%). The Regular Exposure class was significantly associated with the Insufficient Sleep (odds ratio [OR] ¼ 3.15, [1.29, 7.66]) and Owls (OR¼ 3.47 [1.24, 9.71]) classes. Conclusions: The person-centered approach provides important insights into how unique physical work environment experiences are linked with sleep.