Sleep deprivation and injuries in part-time Kentucky farmers: impact of self reported sleep habits and sleep problems on injury risk.

Susan E. Spengler, Steven R. Browning, Deborah B. Reed

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

42 Scopus citations

Abstract

Part-time farmers who hold off-farm jobs may be at risk for injuries because of impaired performance resulting from inadequate sleep. For this study, 1004 part-time male Kentucky farmers completed a telephone interview for the 1994 to 1995 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-funded Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Project. Questions were included about demographics, sleep habits, and injury occurrence. Twelve percent of the farmers reported an injury requiring medical intervention in the previous year. Farmers reported sleeping an average of 7.6 hours daily. Approximately 6.7% of the sample had three symptoms of sleep apnea. Although hours of sleep were not related to injury incidence, sleep medication use (odds ratio [OR] = 2.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01 to 4.40) and presence of three sleep apnea symptoms (OR = 2.48, 95% CI = 1.13 to 5.41) were related to injury incidence. These data support the need for further research to examine sleep habits and promote strategies that reduce the risk for injuries caused by lack of sleep.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)373-382
Number of pages10
JournalAAOHN journal : official journal of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses
Volume52
Issue number9
StatePublished - Sep 2004

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Nursing (miscellaneous)

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