ORIGINAL PAPER
Impact of body weight on the relationships between sleep quality in healthcare workers and their somatic health, sexual life, occupational burnout and stress
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1
University of Zielona Góra, Zielona Góra, Poland
(Department of Humanization of Health Care and Sexology, Collegium Medicum)
2
Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland
(Department of Biomedical Aspects of Development and Sexology, Faculty of Education)
3
Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland
(Faculty of Medicine)
Online publication date: 2024-11-14
Corresponding author
Maciej Białorudzki
University of Zielona Góra, Department of Humanization of Health Care and Sexology, Collegium Medicum, Licealna 9,
65-417 Zielona Góra, Poland
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ABSTRACT
Objectives: Sleep disorders can significantly affect the performance and well-being of healthcare workers. This study explores the influence of body
weight on the links between sleep quality and various self-reported health indicators – including somatic and mental health, sexual life, and workrelated
stress – among healthcare workers. Material and Methods: A national cross-sectional survey was conducted in February – April 2022 using
a predominantly online, self-administered questionnaire. The group analyzed for this study included 1478 healthcare workers from 99 hospitals
and specialized clinics across Poland. Results: Sleep disturbances, assessed via the 4-item Jenkins Sleep Scale scale, were reported by 16% of
the participants. Over half (54.7%) of the respondents were categorized as overweight or obese based on their body mass index (BMI). A higher
BMI was found to be associated with being male, age >50 years, working as a paramedic, possessing over ten years of work experience, and reporting
poorer health and sexual life (p < 0.001). Sleep quality showed significant correlations with assessments of sexual life, stress levels, and
occupational burnout (p < 0.001). These correlations remained significant after adjusting for BMI. Notably, in both univariate and adjusted models,
sexual life assessment was a robust predictor of sleep quality across all BMI groups. For non-obese individuals, the impact of sexual life on
sleep quality persisted even after adjusting for health indicators. Conclusions: The findings suggest that body weight may modulate how sleep
quality is influenced by sexual life assessments, work-related stress, and somatic and mental health in healthcare workers. Int J Occup Med Environ
Health. 2024;37(5)