Alcohol Abuse and Insomnia Disorder: Focus on a Group of Night and Day Workers

Fulvio Plescia, Luigi Cirrincione, Daniela Martorana, Caterina Ledda, Venerando Rapisarda, Valentina Castelli, Francesco Martines, Denis Vinnikov and Emanuele Cannizzaro
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Fulvio Plescia: Department of Health Promotion Sciences Maternal and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties “Giuseppe D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Luigi Cirrincione: Department of Health Promotion Sciences Maternal and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties “Giuseppe D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Daniela Martorana: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliera “Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia Cervello”, 90146 Palermo, Italy
Caterina Ledda: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Occupational Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
Venerando Rapisarda: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Occupational Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
Valentina Castelli: Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), Section of Audiology, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro, 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Francesco Martines: Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), Section of Audiology, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro, 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Denis Vinnikov: Faculty of Medicine and Healthcare, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Al-Farabi Avenue 71, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
Emanuele Cannizzaro: Department of Health Promotion Sciences Maternal and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties “Giuseppe D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-15

Abstract: The sleep-wake cycle plays a fundamental role in maintaining the physiological balance of our body. Its alteration favours the genesis of several organic alterations and diseases including sleep disorders and the consumption of several substances of abuse. It has been reported that the work activity, especially that carried out during the night, is able to influence the sleep-wake cycle, promoting the development of insomnia, which, in turn, would subject the worker to a stressful condition such as to encourage adverse behaviour such as the use/abuse of psychotropic substances. Based on the above premises, the aim of our research was to evaluate, in night workers: (i) the pattern of consumption of alcoholic beverages; (ii) the presence of insomnia; and (iii) the possible correlation between alcohol consumption and insomnia disorder. We used the AUDIT-C test (the abbreviated version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) and the Insomnia Severity Index to assess alcohol consumption and insomnia disorder, respectively. All questionnaires were completed by workers of both sexes belonging to different types of work activities, exclusively day or night. The results of our research show a higher propensity of night workers to consume alcoholic beverages than those who work during daytime hours, often in binge-drinking mode. In addition, an increase in the amount of alcohol consumed was found to be related to insomnia disorder, especially in night workers. This study provides further awareness of the importance of the negative impact of alcohol consumption on sleep quality in night workers.

Keywords: alcohol; sleep disorders; night workers; AUDIT-C (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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