Physical and psychological health in intern paramedics commencing shift work: Protocol for an exploratory longitudinal study

Meagan E Crowther; Sally A Ferguson; Robert J Adams; Katya Kovac; Jessica L Paterson; Amy C Reynolds

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0273113

Physical and psychological health in intern paramedics commencing shift work: Protocol for an exploratory longitudinal study

PLoS One. 2022 Dec 1;17(12):e0273113. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273113. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Meagan E Crowther¹, Sally A Ferguson¹, Robert J Adams², Katya Kovac¹, Jessica L Paterson³, Amy C Reynolds²

Affiliations

¹ Appleton Institute, CQUniversity, Wayville, South Australia, Australia.
² Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (Sleep Health), College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
³ Flinders Institute of Mental Health and Wellbeing, College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.

Abstract

Background: Paramedics are routinely exposed to shift work. Existing research shows that shift work exposure is associated with adverse mental and physical health outcomes. However, the current understanding of the impact of commencing shift work in a paramedic role on health is limited. This can be addressed by recruiting new paramedics before they commence shift work, and conducting regular follow-ups of potential biological, psychological and social changes. The present study aimed to examine changes in biological, psychological and social factors relative to pre-shift work baseline in a cohort of paramedics commencing intern employment with an Australian ambulance service.

Method and analysis: This observational, mixed-methods, longitudinal study aims to recruit 40 interns from one Australian ambulance service. Data collection will occur at baseline (standard day schedule for initial training), and subsequently at three months, six months, nine months and twelve months, to measure biological, psychological and social changes relative to baseline measurements. Changes in cardiometabolic markers (cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose), microbiome (self-collected stool samples), sleep and physical activity (actigraphy) will be measured. Interns will also complete a battery of self-report questionnaires, sleep diaries and qualitative interviews to explore various psychological and social variables over time. Statistical analyses will be conducted using mixed effects regression, specifying a random effect of subject on the intercept, allowing participants to vary according to individual baseline levels, as well as tracking progress over time, appropriately accounting for serial correlation. Qualitative study components will be analysed via coding and thematic analysis procedures.

Discussion: The present study protocol is a comprehensive outline of the observational study planned. The study will allow for greater knowledge of any changes in biological, psychological and social factors during a 12-month transition to shift work. The findings from the proposed study will have implications for the development of strategies to support early-career shift workers.

Copyright: © 2022 Crowther et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Allied Health Personnel
Australia
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Mental Health
Observational Studies as Topic
Shift Work Schedule*

Grants and funding

The study is funded by Central Queensland University internal Pilot Linkage Grant awarded to the research team with in-kind contributions from the South Australian Ambulance Service and Ambulance Employees Association SA, and an Australasian Sleep Association Rob Pierce Grant in Aid awarded to ACR. The lead author (MEC) is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program scholarship. The financial funders had and will not have a role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.