Association of age and night flight duration with sleep disorders among Chinese airline pilots

Bibliographic Data

ID22071464
AuthorsRuizi Shi (0000-0002-0546-9348, Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Fang Wang (0000-0001-7353-9080, Civil Aviation Administration of China), Wanying Xu (0000-0001-5055-2979, Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Li Fu (0000-0002-5957-7790, Civil Aviation Administration of China, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume11
Pages1217005-1217005
Publication date2023-09-07
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2023.1217005
PMID37744512
OpenAlexW4386511205
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited37

Objective Night flights might aggravate sleep disorders among aging airline pilots, posing a threat to flight safety. In this study, we assess the prevalence of sleep disorders as well as the combined effects of night flight duration and aging on sleep disorders. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted between July and December, 2021. Participants were recruited from a commercial airline. Sleep disorders were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The interaction effect of night flight duration and age on sleep disorders and their correlates were examined using logistic regression models. Results In total, 1,208 male airline pilots were included in the study, with a median age of 34 (interquartile range [IQR]: 29–39) years. The overall prevalence of sleep disorders was 42.6%. The multivariate logistic regression identified an interaction between night flight duration and age on sleep disorders (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] of the interaction term was 5.85 95% CI: 2.23–15.34 for age ≥ 45 years; 1.96 95% CI:1.01–3.81 for the age group 30–44 years). Longer night flight duration (aOR: 4.55; 95%CI: 1.82–11.38) and body mass index (BMI) ≥28.0 kg/m 2 (aOR: 0.16; 95% CI: 0.03–0.91) were significantly associated with sleep disorders in participants aged ≥45 years. Hyperuricemia (aOR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.09–2.16) and regular exercise (aOR: 0.23; 95% CI: 0.08–0.70) were significantly associated with sleep disorders in the 30–44 years age group. Conclusion The mean monthly night flight duration and aging had a synergistic effect on airline pilots’ sleep disorders, implying an aging and work-related mechanistic pathogenesis of sleep disorders in airline pilots that requires additional exploration and intervention

Body mass index · Confidence interval · Cross-sectional study · Interquartile range · Logistic regression · Odds ratio · Demography · Medicine · Sleep and related disorders · Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue · Travel-related health issues · Internal Medicine

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