Reliability and Validity of the Czech Version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index in Patients with Sleep Disorders and Healthy Controls

Association of work ability with job burnout and sleep quality among biosafety laboratory personnel in Xinjiang, China: a cross-sectional study

Background

In recent years, the importance of biosafety research has garnered significant attention due to its critical implications for public health and safety. Biosafety Laboratory (BSL) personnel face numerous challenges as they work with high-risk pathogens, including high-pressure environments, stringent safety protocols, and the risk of infection. Research indicates that occupational stress and burnout significantly affect the physical and mental well-being of laboratory personnel, potentially diminishing their work efficiency and capabilities. This study aims to investigate the effects of occupational burnout and sleep quality on the work ability of BSL personnel in Xinjiang, ultimately providing valuable insights for enhancing biosafety and improving work efficiency.

Methods

In July 2022, a cluster sampling method was employed to survey the staff of BSL in Xinjiang. The study utilized the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Work Ability Index to assess the levels of occupational burnout, sleep quality, and work ability among the BSL personnel. Statistical analyses were performed using R Studio 4.2.2 and AMOS 26.0. Through t-tests, analysis of variance, and logistic regression analyses, the study explored the current status and influencing factors of work ability among Xinjiang BSL personnel, as well as the interactive and mediating effects of occupational burnout and sleep quality on work ability.

Results

The prevalence of occupational burnout was 67.4%, while the prevalence of sleep disorders was 38.9%. Interaction analysis revealed that BSL personnel experiencing both occupational burnout and sleep disorders faced a risk of impaired work ability 21.43 times greater than those without burnout and with good sleep quality (OR = 21.43, 95%CI: 14.30-32.12). Structural equation modeling indicated that occupational burnout indirectly impacts work ability through its effect on sleep quality. The indirect effect was significant with a path coefficient of β = -0.28 (0.64 × -0.43), p < 0.01.

Conclusion

The overall work ability of staff in BSL in Xinjiang is relatively good. Occupational burnout and sleep quality are significant risk factors affecting the work ability of BSL personnel. Improving occupational burnout and sleep quality can enhance the work ability of BSL personnel both directly and indirectly.

Dimensionality and cross-language invariance of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index among Indian adolescents and adults

Sleep quality, key to physical and mental health, requires regular assessment in clinical and non-clinical settings. Despite widespread use, the dimensionality of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is debated, and its Hindi version's factor structure remains unexplored. Our study evaluates the PSQI's dimensionality among Indian adolescents and adults aiming to demonstrate cross-language (Hindi and English) invariance of its factor structure. The PSQI showed satisfactory item reliability, and a best-fitting two-factor model: "sleep efficiency" (comprising sleep duration and habitual sleep efficiency), and "perceived sleep quality" (comprising remaining five PSQI components). This model showed configural invariance across age groups, sexes, and languages. Metric invariance was noted across age groups, but a partial metric non-invariance was observed across languages and sexes as reflected by differences in factor loadings. The second-order factor structure model had an excellent fit indicating the usefulness of aggregate scores of the two factors as a single index of sleep quality. Our findings better support a two-factor structure of sleep quality (both for English and Hindi versions of PSQI) in India. However, further validation in diverse clinical and non-clinical samples is warranted.

The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Applied to Cancer Patients: Psychometric Properties and Factors Affecting Sleep Quality

OBJECTIVE

Cancer patients frequently report sleep problems. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is a 19-item instrument for assessing sleep problems. The main objective of this study was to analyze the usefulness of the PSQI in oncological research.

METHODS

A sample of 1,733 cancer patients with mixed diagnoses were included. In addition to the PSQI, the following questionnaires were adopted: the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Jenkins Sleep Scale (JSS) and the sleep scale of the EORTC QLQ-SURV100.

RESULTS

The internal consistency of the PSQI was α = 0.79. Of the PSQI subscales, the subjective sleep quality correlated most strongly with the other sleep instruments (r between 0.68 and 0.77). In total, 69.2% of the sample were poor sleepers; the effect size of the difference between the PSQI total scores of the patients and a general population sample was d = 0.83. Female patients experienced more sleep problems than male patients (d = -0.49), and younger patients (<60 years) reported more sleep problems than older patients (≥60 years) (d = 0.21).

CONCLUSIONS

The PSQI can be recommended for use in clinical practice since its sub-dimensions provide detailed information on the sleep situation of cancer patients.

Sleep quality and duration: A key to life satisfaction among military students

Military service is a demanding profession that requires high physical preparedness and mental endurance. At the same time, the demands of military duties often require early rising and shortened sleep duration. Such a reduction in sleep can reduce physical and mental performance, and these changes can be reflected in life satisfaction. For this reason, soldiers' life satisfaction is a crucial variable for their success and long-term service. This study examined the relationship between sleep quality, sleep duration, and life satisfaction in military medical students. The results on 35 military students showed that greater sleep quality corresponded to greater life satisfaction; this relationship was moderate and significant (r = -460, p = .005). Notably, participants (n = 17) who began to wake up without the use of an alarm clock reported an average of 11% higher life satisfaction than the participants who woke to an alarm clock; this difference between participants was statistically significant (p = .011, Cohen's d = .911). Pre- and post-intervention showed that sleep hygiene education could be a suitable solution to prevent sleep deprivation and positively impact life satisfaction. Our findings emphasize the importance of increased sleep hygiene education, especially in preparing future military officers and during military exercises. Prioritizing sleep hygiene in these ways can significantly increase soldiers' life satisfaction.

Alarm fatigue and sleep quality in medical staff-a Polish-Czech-Slovak study on workplace ergonomics

Background

Alarms are crucial in informing Healthcare Workers (HCWs) about critical patient needs, but unmanaged frequency and noise of alarms can de-sensitize medical staff and compromise patient safety. Alarm fatigue is identified as the major cause of the clinical alarm management problem. It occurs when the medical staff is overwhelmed by the number of clinical alarms.

Methods

The survey was conducted online using Google's form-making tools from June to July 2023. There were three parts to the survey used in the study: a socio-demographic metric, the Alarm Fatigue Assessment Questionnaire (AFAQ), and The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A significance level of 0.05 was used in the analysis.

Results

The survey included 756 medical professionals from three European countries (Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland). The participants in the study were 42 years old on average, and they had 12 years of work experience. 603 out of 756 survey participants had poor sleep quality, 147 had good sleep quality, and 6 did not provide an answer. This study analyzed the alarm fatigue levels of respondents in every country. In the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, a statistically significant association (p = 0.039, p = 0.001, p < 0.001) was found between alarm fatigue and sleep quality in medical staff.

Conclusion

Based on our study, alarm fatigue and sleep quality of HCWs are correlated. Therefore, alarm fatigue and sleep hygiene should be monitored.

Physiological evidence of stress reduction during a summer Antarctic expedition with a significant influence of previous experience and vigor

Antarctica provides a unique environment for studying human adaptability, characterized by controlled conditions, limited sensory stimulation, and significant challenges in logistics and communication. This longitudinal study investigates the relationship between stress indicators, with a specific focus on mean sleep heart rate, during a COVID-19 quarantine and subsequent 83 days long summer Antarctic expedition at the J. G. Mendel Czech Antarctic Station. Our novel approach includes daily recordings of sleep heart rate and weekly assessments of emotions, stress, and sleep quality. Associations between variables were analyzed using the generalized least squares method, providing unique insights into nuances of adaptation. The results support previous findings by providing empirical evidence on the stress reducing effect of Antarctic summer expedition and highlight the importance of previous experience and positive emotions, with the novel contribution of utilizing physiological data in addition to psychological measures. High-frequency sampling and combination of psychological and physiological data addresses a crucial gap in the research of stress. This study contributes valuable knowledge to the field of psychophysiology and has implications for expedition planners, research organizations, teams in action settings, pandemic prevention protocols, global crises, and long-duration spaceflight missions. Comprehensive insights promote the well-being and success of individuals in extreme conditions.

Development and Validation of a Short-Form Version of the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Scale (Short-WOSI)

BACKGROUND

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have transitioned from primarily being used as research instruments to becoming increasingly used in the clinical setting to assess recovery and inform shared decision-making. However, there is a need to develop validated short-form PROM instruments to decrease patient burden and ease incorporation into clinical practice.

PURPOSE

To assess the validity and responsiveness of a shortened version of the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (Short-WOSI) when compared with the full WOSI and other shoulder-related PROM instruments.

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

METHODS

This study was a secondary analysis of data collected as part of an institutional review board-approved, multicenter cohort of 1160 patients undergoing surgical stabilization for shoulder instability. The following PROMs were captured preoperatively and 2 years after surgery: WOSI, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, the Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE), and 36-Item Health Survey (RAND-36). The cohort was split into 2 data sets: a training set to be used in the development of the Short-WOSI (n = 580) and a test set to be used to assess the validity and responsiveness of the Short-WOSI relative to the full WOSI, ASES, SANE, and RAND-36.

RESULTS

The Short-WOSI demonstrated excellent internal consistency before surgery (Cronbach α = .83) and excellent internal consistency at the 2-year follow-up (Cronbach α = .93). The baseline, 2-year, and pre- to postoperative changes in Short-WOSI and WOSI were closely correlated (r > 0.90), with both demonstrating large effect sizes (Short-WOSI = 1.92, WOSI = 1.81). Neither the Short-WOSI nor the WOSI correlated well with the other PROM instruments before (r = 0.21-0.33) or after (r = 0.25-0.38) surgery. The Short-WOSI, WOSI, and SANE scores were more responsive than ASES and RAND-36 scores.

CONCLUSION

The 7-item Short-WOSI demonstrated excellent internal consistency and a lack of floor or ceiling effects. The Short-WOSI demonstrated excellent cross-sectional and longitudinal construct validity and was similarly responsive over time as the full WOSI. Neither the Short-WOSI nor WOSI correlated with more general shoulder PROMs, underscoring the advantage of using instability-specific instruments for this population.

Application of the whole-course care model (IWF/C Care) for postintensive care syndrome based on an early warning system in critically ill patients: a randomised controlled trial study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Critically ill patients are at risk of developing postintensive care syndrome (PICS), which is manifested by physical, psychological and cognitive impairment. Currently, there are no programmes that combine early warning systems with interventions for PICS. We hypothesise that a comprehensive care model for PICS based on an early warning system would reduce medical costs and the incidence of PICS.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) -Ward-Family/Community whole-course care (IWF/C Care) trial will be a unicentric, randomised, controlled trial. A total of 138 ICU patients from two ICUs at a university hospital in Guizhou province, China, will be enrolled in February 2023. The inclusion criteria are an age of 18 years or older, an ICU stay of more than 48 hours, provide informed consent and the ability to communicate normally. Patients will be followed for 12 months and randomised in a 1:1:1 ratio to three groups.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients in intervention group 1 will be assessed by the PICS early warning system within 24 hours of ICU discharge, and precise interventions will be carried out according to the results; that is, high-risk patients will receive care based on the IWF/C Care model and low-risk patients will receive routine care. All patients in intervention group 2 will receive care based on the IWF/C Care model. The control group will receive routine care. The primary endpoints are the incidence of PICS and quality of life. The secondary endpoints include the incidence of adverse events: the unplanned readmission rate, cost-effectiveness, and the experiences and feelings of patients receiving care based on the IWF/C Care model. The incidence of PICS will be measured at ICU discharge, general ward discharge, the home/community stage and 1 month and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after discharge.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval was obtained from Biomedical Research Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University (approval number: KLL-2022-780). The results of this study will be distributed through peer-reviewed journals.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR2300068135.