Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/3107

Title

Review of the Standard Shiftwork Index and its theoretical implications

Author(s)

Bull, Diane F.;  Knowles, Simon R.

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to review critically the shiftwork research using the Standard Shiftwork Index (SSI) and discusses its relevance to the proposed SSI theoretical model by Barton, Spelten, Totterdell, Smith, Folkard, & Costa (1995). To date, the SSI is one of the most comprehensive questionnaire-based research tools used to assess psychological and physiological impact of shiftwork, and the various mediating factors (eg personality and coping strategies). The SSI is based on a theoretical model developed by Barton, Spelten, Totterdell, Smith, Folkard, & Costa (1995) and proposes health is influenced by several factors including the shift system, individual and situational differences, biological rhythms, and coping strategies. Several studies using the SSI have provided support for the theoretical model including the impact of the shift system on individual wellbeing (Aguirre, Heitmann, Imrie, Sirois, & Moore- Ede, 2000; Barton & Folkard, 1993; Barton, Smith, Totterdell, Spelten & Folkard, 1993; Tucker, Smith, Macdonald, & Folkard, 1999); the impact of individual differences such as age on individual wellbeing (Costa, Schallenberg, Ferracin, & Gaffuri, 1995; Ognianova & Dalbokova, 1998; Prescott, 1995; Smith, Robie, Folkard, Barton, Macdonald, Smith, Spelten, Totterdell, & Costa, 2000); the impact of shiftwork on social and domestic roles (Lushington, Lushington, & Dawson, 1997; Totterdell, Spelten, Barton, Smith, & Folkard, 1995); and finally, the impact of various coping strategies on individual wellbeing (Barton, Spelten, Totterdell, Smith, Folkard, & Costa, 1995; Smith, Robie, Folkard, Barton, Macdonald, Smith, Spelten, Totterdell, & Costa, 1999; Spelten, Smith, Totterdell, Barton, Folkard, & Bohle,1993). This review also discusses the methodological aspects of the SSI, specifically with regard to its advantages (eg holistic approach, etc) and disadvantages (eg time to complete, etc) in the applied research field of shiftwork. This review concludes that to date, the SSI provides the researcher with a methodologically valid and holistic research tool to investigate the impact (and mediating factors) of shiftwork on individual psychological and physiological wellbeing.

Publication type

Conference abstract

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Life and Social Sciences

Source

Proceedings of the 16th International Symposium of Night and Shiftwork, November 2003, Santos, Brazil

Publication year

2003

Publisher URL

http://time.iguw.tuwien.ac.at/nov2003toc.htm