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Investigating the associations between work hours, sleep status, and self-reported health among full-time employees

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

The extent to which work hours and sleep are associated with self-rated health (SRH) was investigated in full-time employees of small- and medium-scale businesses (SMBs) in a suburb of Tokyo.

Methods

A total of 2,579 employees (1,887 men and 692 women), aged 18–79 (mean 45) years, in 296 SMBs were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire from August to December 2002. Work hours, sleep, and SRH were evaluated.

Results

Compared with those working 6–8 h/day, participants working >8 to 10 h/day and >10 h/day had significantly higher odds of suboptimal SRH [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.36 and 1.87, respectively]. Similarly, compared with those sleeping 6+ h/day and sufficient sleep, participants with short sleep (<6 h/day) and insufficient sleep had increased odds of suboptimal SRH (aOR 1.65 and aOR 2.03, respectively). Combinations of the longest work hours with short sleep (aOR 3.30) or insufficient sleep (aOR 3.40) exerted synergistic negative associations on SRH.

Conclusions

This study suggests that long work hours and poor sleep and its combination are associated with suboptimal SRH.

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Acknowledgments

The author is grateful to all the volunteers who participated in this study. The author also would like to express deepest appreciation to Dr. Masaya Takahashi, PhD, at the Japan National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health for his study design consulting; Dr. Tomoko Ikeda, PhD, at the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan; and Dr. Minoru Hojou, MD, at the Ohta Regional Occupational Health Center for their help in data collection. I also would like to thank Ms. Robin Dunkin for her statistical consulting. These individuals report no conflicts of interest. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Conflict of interest

The author declares that he has no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Applied Research and Technology, MS-C24, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH, 45226, USA

    Akinori Nakata

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  1. Akinori Nakata
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Correspondence to Akinori Nakata.

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Nakata, A. Investigating the associations between work hours, sleep status, and self-reported health among full-time employees. Int J Public Health 57, 403–411 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-011-0242-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-011-0242-z

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