Headache prevalence and long working hours: the role of physical inactivity

Changes in work schedule affect headache frequency among Norwegian nurses: a 3-year-follow-up study

OBJECTIVES

To explore whether changes in work schedule, number of night shifts and number of quick returns were related to changes in headache frequencies.

METHODS

A longitudinal study with questionnaire data from 2014 (baseline) and 2017 (follow-up) on work schedule (day only, shift work without nights and shift work with nights), number of night shifts, number of quick returns (less than 11 hours in-between shifts) and validated headache diagnoses among 1104 Norwegian nurses. Associations were explored by adjusted multivariate regression analyses.

RESULTS

The median age at baseline was 37 years (IQR 31-43) and 90.5% were women. In the adjusted logistic regression analysis of changed work schedule between baseline and follow-up, changing from night work was associated with increased odds for reversion from headache >1 days/month to no headache at all last year (OR 2.77 (1.29; 5.95)). Changes towards less night shifts (>10) or quick returns (>10) during the last year were associated with increased odds of reversion of headache to no headache (OR 2.23 (1.20; 4.17) and OR 1.90 (1.04; 3.49)). Only decrease in number of night shifts (>10) during the last year reduced risk of onset of any new headache between baseline and follow-up (OR of 0.39 (0.18; 0.84)).

CONCLUSION

Changing from night work and reducing the number of night shifts and quick returns were associated with less headache in this 3-year-follow-up of Norwegian nurses. This adds to the growing body of evidence that night work may have direct negative health consequences.

Headache Characteristics and Risk Factors Among Healthcare Providers in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Introduction Headache is a considerable factor in decreased productivity and work efficiency. This study aims to measure the characteristics of headaches and the risk factors among healthcare providers in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study included 353 healthcare providers from Al-Alhsa, Saudi Arabia. An online questionnaire was conducted to assess the demographic and occupational characteristics, headaches, numerous factors such as smoking, caffeine intake, physical activity, and medical conditions to determine their associations with headaches, as well as the impact of headaches on productivity. Results Among participants who reported headaches, 15.6% and 4.5% had been previously diagnosed with tension headaches and migraines, respectively. The mean duration of headaches was 7.09±18.16 hours; 38.5% of headaches were throbbing in nature, while 61.5% were pressing. The headache was on one side in 51.6% and accompanied by nausea and vomiting in 41.1% and 24.1%, respectively. Moreover, 53% and 41.9% experienced worsening of headaches by exercise and light, respectively. Tension headaches occurred more in older healthcare providers (P <0.05) and those who reported working night shifts (P=0.002). Healthcare providers with tension headaches reported having an intrusive leader and violence at work (P=0.038 and P=0.013, respectively). Caffeine consumption, emotional stress, and using oral contraceptive pills (OCP) were significantly correlated with migraine (P=0.023, P=0.017, and P=0.004, respectively). The reported headache affected the productivity of 62.59% of individuals. Conclusions Headache is common among healthcare providers in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The study indicates that tension headache is associated with aging, night shifts, having an intrusive leader, and violence at work. In contrast, migraine is correlated with caffeine consumption, emotional stress, and OCP use. The productivity of healthcare providers is affected negatively by headaches.

Relationship between visual display terminal working hours and headache/eyestrain in Korean wage workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: the sixth Korean Working Conditions Survey

Background

Prolonged use of visual display terminal (VDT) can cause eyestrain, dry eyes, blurred vision, double vision, headache and musculoskeletal symptoms (neck, shoulder, and wrist pain). VDT working hours among workers have greatly increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between VDT working hours and headache/eyestrain in wage workers using data from the sixth Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS) (2020-2021) conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We analyzed the sixth KWCS data of 28,442 wage workers aged 15 years or older. The headache/eyestrain that occurred in the last year was assessed. The VDT work group included workers who use VDT always, almost always, and three-fourth of the working hours, while the non-VDT work group included workers who use VDT half of the working hours, one-fourth of the working hours, almost never, and never. To analyze the relationship between VDT working hours and headache/eyestrain, the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using logistic regression analysis.

Results

Among the non-VDT work group, 14.4% workers experienced headache/eyestrain, whereas 27.5% workers of the VDT work group experienced these symptoms. For headache/eyestrain, the VDT work group showed adjusted OR of 1.94 (95% CI: 1.80-2.09), compared with the non-VDT work group, and the group that always used VDT showed adjusted OR of 2.54 (95% CI: 2.26-2.86), compared with the group that never used VDT.

Conclusions

This study suggests that during the COVID-19 pandemic, as VDT working hours increased, the risk of headache/eyestrain increased for Korean wage workers.

Working from home during lockdown: the association between rest breaks and well-being

One of the challenges with working from home (WFH) is the question of its effect on health and well-being. The impact of home working on health has so far not been studied extensively. We address this gap by investigating the association between internal recovery, operationalised as rest break frequency (low, medium, and high) during the working day, on self-reported musculoskeletal pain, and post-work recovery symptoms in WFH knowledge workers (n = 382). The analysis showed that failing to take frequent breaks was associated with a dose-response increased risk of reporting headaches. For post-work recovery symptoms, failing to take rest breaks throughout the day was associated with an increased risk of reporting psychological fatigue, physical fatigue, and sleep problems, and a decreased risk of psychologically detaching from work and experiencing adequate rest. Our findings emphasise the importance of remote workers taking recovery breaks from work demands in the maintenance of health and well-being.Practitioner Summary: For the foreseeable future, many knowledge workers will be obliged to work from home for at least, some days of the week. It is therefore important for workers to learn to regulate their behaviour, and workers need to be educated about the value of taking regular rest breaks throughout the working day.Abbreviations: ICT: Information and communications technology; MSDs: musculoskeletal disorders; MSPs: Musculoskeletal pain symptoms; OR: Odds ratio; WFH: Working from home; WRRQ: Work-Related Rumination Questionnaire Questionnaire.

Extended Work Shifts Increase Subjective Pain Complaints Among Cabin Crewmembers, but Not Among Airline Pilots or Healthcare Workers: A Repeated-Measures Study

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether four consecutive extended work shifts are associated with an increased risk of subjective pain complaints, sleep duration, and sleep disturbances.

METHODS

Forty-three healthcare workers, 41 cabin crewmembers, and 18 airline pilots working 4 consecutive extended workdays reported subjective pain complaints and sleep after the 1st and 4th workday.

RESULTS

The risk of headache (odds ratio [OR] 21.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.85 to 246.5) and pain in the hands, arms, or wrists (OR 3.78, 95% CI 1.84 to 7.76) increased after workday 4 versus workday 1 in cabin crewmembers. Sleep duration was longer (0.6 to 1.1 hours), and sleep disturbances fewer, the night before the fourth extended workday, compared with before the first workday, in all occupations.

CONCLUSIONS

We found no general support for an association between extended work shifts and subjective pain, whereas sleep duration was improved, and sleep disturbances reduced after 4 consecutive extended workdays.

Working for Long Hours Is Associated With Dietary Fiber Insufficiency

It has been suggested that long working hours are associated with various diseases through dietary patterns. However, few studies have reported the association between working hours and dietary habits. Thus, the objective of this cross-sectional study was to explore the difference in dietary fiber intake by working hours. Data of a total of 10,760 workers in South Korea who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES), a nation-wide survey, were analyzed to determine different distributions of dietary fiber insufficiency using multiple logistic regression models. Fiber insufficiency proportion was different from working hour groups. 70.1% of the total population eat fiber insufficiently. Working &lt;40 h group showed 66.8% of fiber insufficiency. But working more than 52 h group marked 73.2% of fiber insufficiency. Logistic regression analysis of 10,760 nation-wide study participants revealed that working for 41–52 h a week (OR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.18–1.47) and working for over 52 h a week (OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.25–1.62) were significantly associated with insufficient fiber intake compared to workers with standard working hours (30–40 h a week). These associations were still robust in an adjusted model, with working for 41–52 h a week (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.01–1.27) and working for over 52 h (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.09–1.45) showing high associations with dietary fiber insufficiency. Those with long working hours tend to have insufficient intake of dietary fiber. To promote desirable dietary habits, intervention programs on working conditions should be considered.

Urinary toluene levels and adverse health symptoms among automotive garage workers, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand

To determine their urinary toluene levels, to describe the workers’ hygiene behaviors and the prevalence of adverse health symptoms among automotive garage workers exposed to chemical substances. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted by interviewing among automotive garages located in the Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand. During between 1 November 2020 and 31 December 2020. A total of 140 automotive garages workers were selected using a purposive sampling method. The questionnaire was conducted via face-to-face interview and the toluene was quantified using gas chromatography. Descriptive statistics were computed for the variables. Risk factors were evaluated using multiple logistic regression analysis. Adjusted odds ratio (ORadj) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were presented as statistically significant when the p value was < 0.05. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare the medians of continuous variables of the two groups. The prevalence of skin effects (60.71%); respiratory tract irritation (49.29%); nausea (46.43%); and dizziness (40.71%) was remarkable in the automotive garage workers. Several socio-demographic variables were significantly associated with increased skin effects, respiratory tract irritant, nausea, and dizziness. The median urinary toluene level of the automotive garage workers was 145 μg/L (range, 12.0–958.0 μg/L) which the median urinary levels and demographic characteristics, occupational lifestyle, personal protective equipment used, hygiene behavior, and adverse health symptoms had significantly significant different (p< 0.05).Urine is one of the most useful a sample for biomonitoring of occupational exposure to toluene. Personal hygiene is important for the automotive garage workers, and it should be emphasized in education programs.

Factors associated with headache and neck pain among telecommuters - a five days follow-up

BACKGROUND

The current sanitary crisis brought on by the COVID-19 recently forced a large proportion of workers to adopt telecommuting with limited time to plan transition. Given that several work-related risk factors are associated with headache and neck pain, it seems important to determine those associated with headache and neck pain in telecommuters. The main objective of this study was to identify which telecommuting and individual associated factors are related with headache and neck pain occurrence in telecommuters over a five days follow-up. The second objective was to evaluate the impact of wearing a headset on headache and neck pain intensity in telecommuters.

METHODS

One hundred and sixty-two participants in telecommuting situation were recruited. Baseline assessment included sociodemographic data, headache and neck pain-related disability (6-item Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) and Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire (NBQ)), headache and neck pain frequency and intensity as well as questions about the wearing of a headset (headset wearing, headset type and headset wearing hours). A prospective data collection of headache, neck pain and headset wearing was conducted using daily e-mail over a 5-day follow-up. A stepwise multivariate regression model was performed to determine associated factors of headache or neck pain occurrence during the follow-up. A t-test was conducted to assess the impact of headset wearing on headache and neck pain intensity during the follow-up.

RESULTS

Regarding headache, the stepwise multivariate regression model showed that the HIT-6 score was associated with future headache occurrence in telecommuters (OR (95% CI) = 1.094 (1.042-1.148); R² = 0.094; p <  0.001). For neck pain, the stepwise multivariate regression showed that the NBQ score was related to future neck pain occurrence in telecommuters (OR (95% CI) = 1.182 (1.102-1.269); R² = 0.182; p <  0.001). T-test showed no difference between participants that wore a headset and participant that did not wore a headset on mean headache (p = 0.94) and neck pain (p = 0.56) intensity during the five days follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Although several work-related risk factors are associated with headache and neck pain in workers, telecommuting did not present the same risks. Working set-up did not have a significant impact on headache and neck pain as headache-related disability was the only associated factor of future headache episodes and neck-pain related disability was the only associated factor of future neck pain episodes. Also, wearing a headset had no impact on headache and neck pain in telecommuters.

Impact of Individual Headache Types on the Work and Work Efficiency of Headache Sufferers

Background: Headaches have not only medical but also great socioeconomic significance, therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the overall impact of headaches on a patient’s life, including their work and work efficiency. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of individual headache types on work and work efficiency. Methods: This research was designed as a cross-sectional study performed by administering a questionnaire among employees. The questionnaire consisted of general questions, questions about headache features, and questions about the impact of headaches on work. Results: Monthly absence from work was mostly represented by migraine sufferers (7.1%), significantly more than with sufferers with tension-type headaches (2.23%; p = 0.019) and other headache types (2.15%; p = 0.025). Migraine sufferers (30.2%) worked in spite of a headache for more than 25 h, which was more frequent than with sufferers from tension-type and other-type headaches (13.4%). On average, headache sufferers reported work efficiency ranging from 66% to 90%. With regard to individual headache types, this range was significantly more frequent in subjects with tension-type headaches, whereas 91–100% efficiency was significantly more frequent in subjects with other headache types. Lower efficiency, i.e., 0–40% and 41–65%, was significantly more frequent with migraine sufferers. Conclusions: Headaches, especially migraines, significantly affect the work and work efficiency of headache sufferers by reducing their productivity. Loss is greater due to reduced efficiency than due to absenteeism.

The Effect of Long Working Hours and Overtime on Occupational Health: A Meta-Analysis of Evidence from 1998 to 2018

There has been no subsequent meta-analysis examining the effects of long working hours on health or occupational health since 1997. Therefore, this paper aims to conduct a meta-analysis covering studies after 1997 for a comparison. A total of 243 published records were extracted from electronic databases. The effects were measured by five conditions, namely, physiological health (PH), mental health (MH), health behaviours (HB), related health (RH), and nonspecified health (NH). The overall odds ratio between long working hours and occupational health was 1.245 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.195-1.298). The condition of related health constituted the highest odds ratio value (1.465, 95% CI: 1.332-1.611). The potential moderators were study method, cut-point for long weekly working hours, and country of origin. Long working hours were shown to adversely affect the occupational health of workers. The management on safeguarding the occupational health of workers working long hours should be reinforced.

Effect of Vitamin D Deficiency on the Frequency of Headaches in Migraine

Background and Purpose

The risk of vitamin D deficiency varies with the season. The frequency of vitamin D deficiency in migraine patients and its association with migraine are unclear.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated first-visit migraine patients between January 2016 and May 2017, and investigated the demographics, season, migraine subtypes, frequency, severity, and impact of migraine, psychological and sleep variables, climate factors, and vitamin D levels. The nonfasting serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was measured to determine the vitamin D level, with deficiency of vitamin D defined as a concentration of <20 ng/mL.

Results

In total, 157 patients with migraine aged 37.0±8.6 years (mean±standard deviation) were analyzed. Their serum level of vitamin D was 15.9±7.4 ng/mL. Vitamin D deficiency was present in 77.1% of the patients, and occurred more frequently in spring and winter than in summer and autumn (89.1%, 85.7%, 72.4%, and 61.7%, respectively; p=0.008). In multivariate Poisson regression analysis, monthly headache was 1.203 times (95% confidence interval=1.046–1.383, p=0.009) more frequent in patients with vitamin D deficiency than in those without deficiency after adjusting for demographics, season, migraine subtype, depression, anxiety, and sleep quality. These associations were consistently noted in subgroup analysis of episodic migraine (odds ratio=1.266, p=0.033) and chronic migraine (odds ratio=1.390, p=0.041).

Conclusions

Our study found that a larger number of monthly days with headache was related to vitamin D deficiency among migraineurs. Future studies should attempt to confirm the causal relationship between vitamin D deficiency and migraine.