The aim of this study was to establish whether hardiness and tenure are predictive variables for coping with shiftwork. The extent of shiftwork and shiftwork research has expanded internationally in the past decade. It has been established that shiftwork has a negative effect on shiftworkers who are predisposed to certain strain symptoms such as inefficiency, impaired health and domestic problems. However, certain inter individual differences do moderate coping with shiftwork through a process of cognitive and behavioural protective acts which modify the stressful situation and neutralise the experience of problems. Using questionnaires (Biographical, Hardiness Index and Coping with Shiftwork Questionnaire), a sample group of 75 cases was analysed. A 95 percent confidence level was used throughout with a multiple stepwise regression analysis computed. The significant r2 value = 0.18. Focus group discussions were conducted to· add qualitative information to the areas of social, domestic, work and sleep problems as well as coping strategies. The predictive variables were regressed onto a number of criterion variables, namely coping with shiftwork, work, sleep, domestic and social problems, as well as engagement and diseng.agement strategies including both strategies in all four domains (work, sleep, social and domestic). It was found that hardiness and tenure are not predictive variables for coping with shiftwork. However, hardiness, commitment and challenge are predictors for disengagement strategies so that hardy, challenged and committed individua1s will use less disengagement coping strategies and more specifically, use less domestic disengagement coping strategies. The research established hardiness as an additional personality variable linked to a primary scale of coping with shiftwork, namely disengagement. The longer term adjustment of shiftworkers (through tenure) was not established. Recommendations were made for targeted shiftwork coping programmes and more extensive classical shiftwork research in South Africa / Economics and Management Sciences / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

The aim of this study was to establish whether hardiness and tenure are predictive variables for coping with shiftwork. The extent of shiftwork and shiftwork research has expanded internationally in the past decade. It has been established that shiftwork has a negative effect on shiftworkers who are predisposed to certain strain symptoms such as inefficiency, impaired health and domestic problems. However, certain inter individual differences do moderate coping with shiftwork through a process of cognitive and behavioural protective acts which modify the stressful situation and neutralise the experience of problems. Using questionnaires (Biographical, Hardiness Index and Coping with Shiftwork Questionnaire), a sample group of 75 cases was analysed. A 95 percent confidence level was used throughout with a multiple stepwise regression analysis computed. The significant r2 value = 0.18. Focus group discussions were conducted to· add qualitative information to the areas of social, domestic, work and sleep problems as well as coping strategies. The predictive variables were regressed onto a number of criterion variables, namely coping with shiftwork, work, sleep, domestic and social problems, as well as engagement and diseng.agement strategies including both strategies in all four domains (work, sleep, social and domestic). It was found that hardiness and tenure are not predictive variables for coping with shiftwork. However, hardiness, commitment and challenge are predictors for disengagement strategies so that hardy, challenged and committed individua1s will use less disengagement coping strategies and more specifically, use less domestic disengagement coping strategies. The research established hardiness as an additional personality variable linked to a primary scale of coping with shiftwork, namely disengagement. The longer term adjustment of shiftworkers (through tenure) was not established. Recommendations were made for targeted shiftwork coping programmes and more extensive classical shiftwork research in South Africa / Economics and Management Sciences / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / The Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF), Edwards Air Force Base, California, is the largest anechoic military test facility in the world for testing developmental and operational electromagnetic equipment. Supervisors must often extend employees' work hours considerably in order to meet mission (i.e., test) timelines. Supervisors at the BAF currently have no accurate means of identifying when an employee's work performance is at risk of decreasing due to sleep deprivation, unbalanced circadian rhythms, and/or fatigue. Therefore, the focus of this research was to create a method for supervisors to effectively gauge the work performance levels of employees placed at risk for sleep deprivation. Thus, individual sleep data were collected for one week on eight volunteers at the BAF using assigned sleep monitoring devices known as Actigraphs. Extensive questionnaires were developed to determine volunteers' sleep pattern, demographics, and sleep history. For analysis purposes, the Fast Avoidance Scheduling Tool (FAST), based on the Sleep, Activity, Fatigue, and Task Effectiveness (SAFTE) model was used to determine how the performance level of each volunteer differed based on the amount of sleep acquired. The results demonstrated that as the week progressed and the volunteers' sleep decreased, the effectiveness of their work performance correspondingly decreased to a level where the safety of the test and the volunteers were both at risk. / Civilian, United States Air Force

Despite extensive research into shift work, workers working under rotating shift conditions are still plagued by the effects of the desynchronisation resulting from working against their natural circadian rhythms. Additionally, modern industries are shifting towards tasks requiring greater cognitive demand with less manual labour incorporated into the tasks. Research into operator based tasks, and hence those of a sedentary cognitive base both during day and night shifts, has been focusing on the effectiveness of the standard rest/break schedule. Research indicating that the standard rest break schedule is often ineffective in eliminating operator discomfort and performance deterioration, with these affects argued to be more pronounced during a night shift schedule. Therefore current research set out to investigate alternative rest break schedules, incorporating a short bout of physical activity and stretching exercises which are proposed to enhance performance and subjective mood, while eliminating operator discomfort for sedentary based cognitive tasks. Three conditions were tested during a three day habituation shift cycle within a laboratory, incorporating two night shift groups (control and experimental) and a control day shift group. Twelve subjects made up each group, with the two night shift groups completing the shift schedule together. The control groups followed a typical 8 hour shift schedule while the experimental group performed a booster break (exercise and stretches) activity for 7.5 minutes every hour during the night shift schedule. Over the course of the shift, subjects completed a battery of six tests providing data on physiological measurements (heart rate and temperature), performance criteria (reaction time responses, memory and neurobiological) and subjective measures. Responses obtained for all the different parameters measured indicated a strong circadian influence for the majority of the variables, indicating the course of natural down regulation within physiological and performance criteria over the night shift. The booster break significantly improved reaction time performance, subjective ratings and resulted in a high sustainable activity level. Day shift comparisons indicating that within subjective measures and reaction time performance, the booster break resulted in similar responses to those of the day shift workers, while the control night shift groups reported significantly lowers results. Additionally, the booster break had positive influences during the circadian nadir, significantly improving parameters of performance and subjective ratings of sleepiness. The results of this study indicating which variables are strong predictors and indicators of the oscillations in performance and subjective ratings due to the circadian changes. The booster break interventions had positive effects on subjective ratings and reaction time performance, while also being argued to decrease the burden placed on the cardiac system as a result of increased sympathetic tone during the night shift, while additionally resulting in similar responses to those of day shift workers. Further studies are required, however, to provide conclusive evidence particularly within a working situation over a longer shift schedule.

Lo Chi-yan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 42-51). / Abstract in English and Chinese; questionnaires in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgments --- p.iv / Table of Contents --- p.v / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Why is empirical research on driver sleepiness important? --- p.2 / Prevalence of driver sleepiness --- p.2 / Driver sleepiness as a risk factor for traffic accidents --- p.3 / Why should taxi driver sleepiness be studied? --- p.6 / Variations in sleepiness and vigilance and driving performance within a shift and comparison between daytime and nighttime drivers --- p.8 / "The impact of circadian typology on sleep, sleepiness, vigilance and driving performance" --- p.11 / Bright light exposure --- p.14 / Overview of the present study --- p.18 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- Main study --- p.20 / Recruitment and Characteristics of Participants --- p.20 / Procedure --- p.20 / Instruments --- p.23 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- Results --- p.28 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- Discussion --- p.36 / References --- p.42 / Figures --- p.52 / Tables --- p.55 / Appendices --- p.62

The aim of the study was to investigate whether statistically and practically significant positive relationships exist between intrinsic motivation, social support and work engagement of shift workers in a South African Chemical Company. The expected outcome was to find statistically and practically significant positive correlations between these variables for these workers. A cross sectional survey was conducted among a sample of 207 shift workers from a South African Chemical Company. Data was collected by means of existing standardised and validated questionnaires, to measure intrinsic motivation (six-item measure) validated by Kuvaas and Dysvik, 2009, perceived social support (Work Experiences Scale, May, Gilson, & Harter, 2004), and work engagement (Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Henn & Barkhuizen, 2009; Shimazu & Schaufeli, 2009). The statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients. The results showed that there were statistically and practically significant positive relationships between these variables for this sample group / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / This study aims to investigate the relation between a crane operator in a slab handlingarea's experience of his/her work environment and occupational health. A study of the literature leads one to the conclusion that the nature of crane operators' work environment may cause health problems. According to the literature crane operators are high risk cases regarding musculoskeletal disorders. The empirical study affirms that there are risk factors present in the crane operator's work environment, which may influence his/her occupational health. It is statistically proven that there is a meaningful difference between crane operators with a negative experience of the work environment and crane operators with a positive experience of the work environment, and the amount of illnesses experienced by crane operators as well as their general health. Recommendations are made regarding training, adjustability and flexibility of the work station, job rotation, job expansion and enrichment, and social contact. / Die doel van die studie is om die verband tussen 'n kraanoperateur in 'n platblokhanteringsarea se ervaring van sy/haar werksomgewing en beroepsgesondheid te ondersoek. Die literatuurstudie lei tot die gevolgtrekking dat die aard van kraanoperateurs se werksomgewing aanleiding kan gee tot gesondheidsprobleme. Volgens die literatuur is kraanoperateurs hoerisikogevalle ten opsigte van spierskeletstelselbeserings. Die empiriese studie bevestig dat daar risikofaktore voorkom in die kraanoperateur se werksomgewing wat sy/haar beroepsgesondheid kan be"invloed. Statisties is bewys dat daar 'n betekenisvolle verskil is tussen kraanoperateurs met 'n negatiewe ervaring van die werksomgewing en kraanoperateurs met 'n positiewe ervaring van die werksomgewing en die hoeveelheid siektetoestande wat kraanoperateurs ervaar, en die algemene gesondheid van kraanoperateurs. Aanbevelings om risikofaktore te beheer word gemaak ten opsigte van opleiding, verstelbaarheid en buigbaarheid van die werkstasie, posrotasie, posverbreding en - verryking, en sosiale kontak. / Industrial Psychology / M. Com (Industrial Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / This study aims to investigate the relation between a crane operator in a slab handlingarea's experience of his/her work environment and occupational health. A study of the literature leads one to the conclusion that the nature of crane operators' work environment may cause health problems. According to the literature crane operators are high risk cases regarding musculoskeletal disorders. The empirical study affirms that there are risk factors present in the crane operator's work environment, which may influence his/her occupational health. It is statistically proven that there is a meaningful difference between crane operators with a negative experience of the work environment and crane operators with a positive experience of the work environment, and the amount of illnesses experienced by crane operators as well as their general health. Recommendations are made regarding training, adjustability and flexibility of the work station, job rotation, job expansion and enrichment, and social contact. / Die doel van die studie is om die verband tussen 'n kraanoperateur in 'n platblokhanteringsarea se ervaring van sy/haar werksomgewing en beroepsgesondheid te ondersoek. Die literatuurstudie lei tot die gevolgtrekking dat die aard van kraanoperateurs se werksomgewing aanleiding kan gee tot gesondheidsprobleme. Volgens die literatuur is kraanoperateurs hoerisikogevalle ten opsigte van spierskeletstelselbeserings. Die empiriese studie bevestig dat daar risikofaktore voorkom in die kraanoperateur se werksomgewing wat sy/haar beroepsgesondheid kan be"invloed. Statisties is bewys dat daar 'n betekenisvolle verskil is tussen kraanoperateurs met 'n negatiewe ervaring van die werksomgewing en kraanoperateurs met 'n positiewe ervaring van die werksomgewing en die hoeveelheid siektetoestande wat kraanoperateurs ervaar, en die algemene gesondheid van kraanoperateurs. Aanbevelings om risikofaktore te beheer word gemaak ten opsigte van opleiding, verstelbaarheid en buigbaarheid van die werkstasie, posrotasie, posverbreding en - verryking, en sosiale kontak. / Industrial Psychology / M. Com (Industrial Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / 'n Ondersoek is onderneem om vas te stel watter invloed skofwerk op ouerkindverhoudinge het. 'n Literatuurstudie is uitgevoer om die invloed van skofwerk op mense en gesinsfunksies te bepaal. Vraelyste ten opsigte van die ouer-kindverhouding en gesinskommunikasie is geïdentifiseer en aangepas. Uit die resultate van die empiriese ondersoek is geen beduidende verskil gevind in die globale verhouding tussen ouers en kinders by gesinne waar ouers skofte werk en gesinne waar ouers nie skofte werk nie. 'n Beduidende verski1 in die kenverhouding tussen ouers en kinders bet voorgekom. Daar is bevind dat ouer adolessente 'n swakker gesags- en vertrouensverhouding met bulle ouers het as jonger adolessente in gesinne waar die ouers skofte werk. Opvoedkundige implikasies van die bevindinge is bespreek. Riglyne vir die verbetering van die ken-, vertrouens- en gesagsverhouding tussen ouers en kinders is aan ouers en onderwysers gestel. Laastens is voorstelle vir verdere navorsing gemaak. An investigation was wtdertaken to detennine the intluence of shift work on parent~ child relationships. A literature study was done to detennine the influence of shift work on people and family functions. Questionnaires dealing with the parent-child relationship and family communication were identified and adapted. According to the results of the empirical investigation no significant differences were found in general parent-child relationships between families where parents work shifts and families where parents do not work shifts. A significant difference was found in the relationship of knowing between shift working parents and childnm. lt was foWld that older adolescents have a weaker relationship of authority and trust in families where parents work shifts. The educational implications of the findings are discussed. Guidelines for a better relationship of knowing, authority and trust between parent and child are given to parents and teachers. Lastly, suggestions for further research are made. / Educational Studies / M. Ed.(Guidance and Couselling)

Breast cancer poses a serious public health concern. This case-control study describes the relationship of night-shift working on the development of breast cancer in 57 women diagnosed with breast cancer compared to 49 women with other types of cancer in the Vaal Triangle area (selected through non-probability purposive sampling from CANSA). The study revealed that women who work night-shift developed breast cancer 1.24 times more often than women who do not work nightshift (OR=1.24 [95% CI 0.52 to 2.89]). The odds ratio was further increased in women who worked rotating-shift (OR=1.44 [95% CI 0.58 to 3.59]). Night-shift work exposure was not statistically related to the development of breast cancer. It is recommended that the relationship between night-shift exposure and breast cancer risk be further explored through cross-sectional and cohort studies, and other breast cancer pathways. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)