Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32912941›Full record

Observational studyBMJ open2020

Pain complaints after consecutive nights and quick returns in Norwegian nurses working three-shift rotation: an observational study.

Maria Katsifaraki, Kristian Bernhard Nilsen, Jan Olav Christensen, Morten Wærsted, Stein Knardahl, Bjørn Bjorvatn, Mikko Härmä, Dagfinn Matre

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Association of Low Back Pain with Shift Work: A Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023
    Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Gastrointestinal Symptoms and the Assessment of Diet in Shift Workers: A Systematic Scoping Review.Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2025
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Maria KatsifarakiNational Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway.
Kristian Bernhard NilsenDepartment of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevaal, Oslo, Norway.
Jan Olav ChristensenNational Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway.
Morten WærstedNational Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway.
Stein KnardahlNational Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway.
Bjørn BjorvatnDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.ORCID 0000-0001-7051-745X
Mikko HärmäFinnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.
Dagfinn MatreNational Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway dagfinn.matre@stami.no.ORCID 0000-0003-0042-6389
National Institute of Occupational Health · NOFinnish Institute of Occupational Health · FIHaukeland University Hospital · NOOslo University Hospital · NO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo determine whether nurses working consecutive night shifts, or short transitions between shifts (quick returns (QRs)), yielded higher risk for pain complaints when compared with regular morning shifts. Sleep duration was tested as a potential mediator.

designObservational diary study.

settingRandom hospitals.

participantsNurses with three-shift rotation (morning, evening and night), n=679, 22-63 years old. OUTCOMES MEASURES: Daily ratings of working hours, sleep and subjective pain complaints in six anatomical regions (head, neck/shoulder/upper back, upper extremity, low back, lower extremity and abdomen) for 28 days. In addition, we assessed demographics, habitual sleep and pain complaints, work and lifestyle factors. It was tested (1) whether the risk for pain complaints was higher after workday 3 versus after workday 2, and whether the difference was larger for consecutive night shifts versus consecutive morning shifts, and (2) whether the risk for pain complaints was higher after QRs versus after two morning shifts. Risk for pain complaints refers to combined increased risk for any pain and risk for increased intensity.

resultsAdjusted analyses showed no shift type by workday interaction for pain complaints in the neck/shoulder/upper back, upper extremities, low back, lower extremities or abdomen. For headache, a strong trend indicated that the risk was higher on workday 3 compared with workday 2 for night shifts (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.28). The risk was lowered if sleep duration was taken into account (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.81). No conclusive support was found for the risk for pain complaints being higher after QRs, compared with after morning shifts.

conclusionsFor five of six pain complaints, the hypotheses were not supported by the current data. For headache, we found potential support for a sleep-relieving effect on headache after working several nights in a row. Pain complaints were not instigated or exacerbated by an evening-to-morning transition between shifts.

Indexed as

NursesWork Schedule ToleranceAdultCircadian RhythmHumansMiddle AgedNorwayPainRotationSleepSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung Adultoccupational & industrial medicinepain managementsleep medicine

Identifiers

PMID32912941
PMCPMC7482487
OpenAlexW3084082143

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.