Kontakt 2024, 26(2):153-159 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2024.019

Sleep quality of paramedics in the Czech RepublicNursing - Original article

Hana Locihová1, *, Bohdana Kupčíková Břegová2, Renata Zittová3, Jana Hrušková3, Monika Bahulová4
1 University of Ostrava, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Ostrava, Czech Republic
2 University Hospital Ostrava, Internal and Cardiology Clinic, Ostrava, Czech Republic
3 University Hospital Olomouc, Department of Respiratory Medicine and Tuberculosis, Olomouc, Czech Republic
4 Military Unit (684804), Ministry of Defense, Prostějov, Czech Republic

Introduction: Sleep disorders are common among shift workers and those who work under stressful and unpredictable conditions. Sleep quality and its promotion in paramedics are understudied.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the quality of sleep in emergency medical service workers, to compare certain relationships between variables (gender, age, length of experience), and to assess whether a cut-off score of 10 is appropriate for the discriminatory ability of the selected instrument in the Czech clinical setting.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Methods: Data were obtained using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The sample comprised 191 paramedics. Data were analyzed using selected statistical methods.

Results: The mean PSQI total score was 7.45 (SD 3.60). The lowest scoring component was sleep duration (1.45; SD 1.01). There was no relationship between sleep quality and gender. With respect to age, two components, sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction, were found to be significant (p < 0.05). Regarding the length of experience, daytime dysfunction was identified as a significant component. The PSQI total parameter with a cut-off of 10 (PSQI total ≤10 good sleep; PSQI total >10 poor sleep) was confirmed to be suitable for discriminating the subjectively perceived sleep quality in paramedics.

Conclusion: The study demonstrates that sleep quality is compromised in paramedics. Impaired sleep quality has the greatest impact on daytime dysfunction in paramedics. The PSQI, with a cut-off score of 10, is an appropriate instrument for assessing their sleep disturbances.

Keywords: Paramedic; Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; Sleep quality
Conflicts of interest:

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the surveillance study, and the ethical aspects were respected while processing the results. All the used bibliographical sources were properly cited.

Received: December 6, 2023; Revised: March 14, 2024; Accepted: April 25, 2024; Prepublished online: April 26, 2024; Published: May 31, 2024  Show citation

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Locihová H, Kupčíková Břegová B, Zittová R, Hrušková J, Bahulová M. Sleep quality of paramedics in the Czech Republic. Kontakt. 2024;26(2):153-159. doi: 10.32725/kont.2024.019.
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