Sociodemographic and Job Characteristics Influence Environmental Strategies Used to Manage Workplace Sleepiness.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE Suboptimal alertness and sleepiness impact work performance, health, and safety in many industries. We aimed to identify key environmental factors that workers view as supportive for reducing sleepiness and to examine the relationship between worker and job characteristics and identified sleepiness remedies. METHODS We conducted a mixed-method (qualitative and quantitative) cross-sectional study analyzing data from a representative sample of 496 workers in New York State. RESULTS Changing air ventilation (29.2%), natural lighting (17.1%), and room temperature (14.9%) were the environmental strategies deemed most important for managing workplace sleepiness. Strategy selection differed by sociodemographic (income and education) and job characteristics (indoor/outdoor, sedentary/mobile, and cognitive/physical labor). CONCLUSIONS Customization of workplace environmental factors in a manner cognizant of workers' needs and sociodemographic and job characteristics could increase the use of evidence-based strategies to reduce sleepiness.