Study on Rotating Shifts Without Frequent Day and Night Changes and the Effects on the Mental and Physical Health

JRCT ID: jRCT1030230251

Registered date:21/07/2023

Basic Information

• Recruitment status: Recruiting
• Health condition(s) or Problem(s) studied: none
• Date of first enrollment: 21/07/2023
• Target sample size: 70
• Study type: Interventional
• Intervention(s): In intervention group, work schedule is implemented, in which each of day shift and night shift continues more than 2 weeks including days off, expecting reducing physical and mental disorders due to rotating shifts and recovery from fatigue by reducing frequency of day and night rotation to make circadian rhythm disturbance smaller.

Outcome(s)

Primary Outcome

1. Deep body temperature (circadian rhythm) and phase angle difference of sleep rhythm (desynchronization)
2. Change in amplitude of deep body temperature
3. Parameters related to sleep quality (sleep latency, hours of interrupted sleep, sleep efficiency, length of deep sleep/ratio, length of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep/ratio, and others)

Secondary Outcome

1. Amount and quality of sleep (REM sleep latency, total sleeping hours, subjective assessment of sleep, and others)
2. Sense of fatigue (amount of score change by using the Visual Analogue Scale [VAS] to Evaluate Fatigue Severity)
3. Stress condition (the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) score, sympathetic nerve activation at rest [while asleep], and others)
4. Daytime activities (consumption energy, number of steps, Epworth Sleepiness Scale score, and others)

Key inclusion & exclusion criteria

• Age minimum: >= 20age old
• Age maximum: Not applicable
• Gender: Both

Include criteria

1. Although years of experience as a nurse and enrollment period in the ward to which a research subject is assigned are not considered, the subject must be determined to be capable of engaging in night shift by nursing supervisor of the ward.
2. Subjects must be engaged in night shift/rotating shifts in the research collaboration hospitals at the time of obtaining their consent to participate in the research.

Exclude criteria

1. Nurses who work short hours and fixed hours (day shift full-time, night shift full-time, and others).
2. Nurses who need to take sleeping pills constantly.
3. Nurses who are unable to work night shift/rotating shifts for physical and mental health reason at a physician's discretion.
4. Nurses whose consent cannot be obtained for personal reasons.
5. In addition, nurse maneger of the research collaboration hospitals judged unsuitable for conducting the research safely.

Related Information

• Primary Sponsor: Moriuchi Mineko