![Sample our Health and Social Care journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5938/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Health-Social-Care.jpg"})
Abstract
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is the most common symptom of sleep-disorders. Although high levels of EDS have been reported among firefighters, there is a limited understanding on EDS in firefighters. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in full-time firefighters (n = 275). The survey included the Epworth Sleepiness Scale to assess EDS, as well as other questions related to job characteristics, health history, and demographics. Firefighters reported inadequate sleep hours, extremely short sleep latencies, and high EDS higher than the general population. A majority of firefighters indicated a willingness to consult with a sleep professional. Risk factors associated with EDS included at least five years of professional experiences and depression diagnosis. Our findings suggest that EDS is widespread among firefighters. With increasing time on the job, frequencies of both obesity and EDS increase, which can have severe and compounding effects on health and safety.
Acknowledgments
We thank Andrew Ryan from the University of Minnesota who provided expertise and assisted the research.
Author’s contribution
Yihe Shi: Contributed analytic framework, led data analysis and manuscript development.
Bridget Bender: Led study design, questionnaire survey development, collection of the data and developed initial manuscript.
Eun Mi Jung: Contributed on analytic framework, data analysis and manuscript development.
Douglas DeMoulin: Contributed on analytic framework, data analysis and manuscript development.
Samuel Jacobs: Contributed on analytic framework, data analysis and manuscript development.
J. Roxanne Prichard: Supervised entire process of analytic framework, led data analysis and manuscript development.
Hyun Kim: Supervised entire process of analytic framework, led data analysis and manuscript development.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Institution and ethics approval and informed consent
The protocol was reviewed and approved by University of St. Thomas Institutional Review Board.