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Irregular work times and still healthy? Work, home and satisfaction with irregular work times of health-care workers of a nursery and an elderly home
V. Peters, A. de Rijk
AIM: This study examines the determinants of health in health-care workers in a nursing home and care facility. The following assumption was explored: demands, autonomy and social support both in the work and home-situation and satisfaction with irregular work times (SIW) are determinants of health (health complaints, emotional exhaustion, general fatigue). METHOD: Data in this crosssectional study were collected by a self-administered questionnaire sent to health-care workers (n=140) in the nursing home and care facility. Predictors of health were determined by multiple linear regression, corrected for background characteristics. FINDINGS: Demands, tasks, and autonomy both at home and work predict health (explained variance 15-28%). SIW is a determinant of health. Social support at the workplace, job demands and job autonomy explain 25% of SIW. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Health is related to work and home characteristics. Work demands are the most important determinant of health. SIW is related to health and a (partial) mediating
role was found for SIW for some work characteristics. Personnel that reported higher work demands, lower autonomy and/or less social support on the job are less satisfied with the irregular working times. SIW requires further longitudinal studies. The health of health-care workers can be promoted by decreasing workload, increasing autonomy and taking into account the home characteristics.
