Sleep Problems and Workplace Violence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Nicola Magnavita; Enrico Di Stasio; Ilaria Capitanelli; Erika Alessandra Lops; Francesco Chirico; Sergio Garbarino

doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.00997

Sleep Problems and Workplace Violence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Front Neurosci. 2019 Oct 1:13:997. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00997. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Nicola Magnavita^{1

2}, Enrico Di Stasio^{1

2}, Ilaria Capitanelli¹, Erika Alessandra Lops¹, Francesco Chirico¹, Sergio Garbarino^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Post-graduate School in Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
² Department of Women/Child & Public Health, Gemelli General Hospital Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
³ Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Mother and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.

Abstract

Background: This systematic review with meta-analysis was carried out to study the relationship between workplace violence and sleep problems. Methods: The PRISMA statement was used to conduct a systematic search of the literature on PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Sociological abstract, DOAJ, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. Of the original number of 749 studies, 34 were included in the systematic review, and 7 in the meta-analysis. Results: A total of 119,361 participants from 15 different countries took part in these studies which were published between 1999 and 2019. Significant heterogeneity was observed among the studies (I ² = 96%). In a random-effects meta-analysis model, pooled odds ratio (OR) analysis revealed that there was a direct relationship between occupational exposure to violence and sleep problems (OR = 2.55; 95% CI = 1.77-3.66). According to the GRADE guidelines, the quality of evidence of the association was low. Conclusions: The findings of this study demonstrate that occupational exposure to physical, verbal, or sexual violence is associated with sleep problems. Further research on the relationship between violence and sleep is needed so that appropriate measures can be taken to prevent violence and improve sleep hygiene in the workplace. Trial Registration Number: PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews (CRD42019124903) February 9, 2019.

Keywords: bullying; neurophysiology; psychological trauma; sleep disorders; sleep problems; sleep quality; stress; workplace violence.

Publication types

Systematic Review