Sleepless in the United States

Between 50 million and 70 million Americans are at greater risk for certain health conditions because they aren’t getting enough sleep or rest, according to a new study.

The study finds that 10% of Americans get six or fewer hours of sleep every night—not the recommended seven to nine hours to feel fully rested. As a result, they have a higher risk of obesity, depression and substance- abuse disorders.

What’s keeping these people up at night? Lifestyle factors such as busier schedules, heavy family demands and late-night television watching and Internet surfing are all modernday culprits. Shift work may also be a cause.

People suffering from a chronic lack of sleep should seek medical intervention, researchers say. They should also set a regular sleep schedule and avoid caffeine and other stimulants before bedtime.

 

The Stats: OTs growing in supply

The number of occupational therapists in Canada grew by 27% between 2000 and 2005, reaching 11,400. The majority of these health professionals held permanent positions with their employers.

In 2006:

  • 92% of OT s were women 30–39 years old
  • 80% worked in direct patient care
  • 90% were concentrated in urban areas
  • 46% worked in hospital settings
  • 42% worked in other community and professional settings

 

 

Hot Topic: Absenteeism linked to morale

Reaffirming the link between morale and productivity, a study finds that nurses who were dissatisfied with their jobs in 2005 missed twice as many workdays (25.9) than those who were satisfied (12.9 days). Reasons for the low job satisfaction included a perceived lack of respect and autonomy in the workplace, a lack of control over one’s tasks and poor physician-nurse relationships. The highest rate of absenteeism was seen among nurses working in long-term-care facilities, where the average number of days missed was 38.1, followed by nurses working in hospitals (23.6 days) and those employed in community health settings (20.4 days).

Sources: OTs—Canadian Institute for Health Information, Workforce Trends of Occupational Therapists in Canada, 2006; Sleep—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; Nurses—Canadian Institute for Health Information, second analysis of the 2005 National Survey on the Work and Health of Nurses; Cost—Pollara Research, 10th Annual Health Care in Canada Survey.

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© Copyright 2008 Rogers Publishing Ltd. This article first appeared in the May 2008 edition of WORKING WELL magazine.