A $4 million award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health, will allow researchers in the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health to identify key factors for the successful implementation of workplace sleep coaching to improve sleep health in Arizona firefighters.
Almost half of career firefighters report short sleep and poor sleep quality, and about 37% of firefighters screen positive for sleep disorders like sleep apnea, insomnia, or shift work disorder, according to research led by the Harvard Work Hours Health and Safety Group. Unfortunately, firefighters face unique barriers, including long working shifts and mandatory overtime, that can prevent them from using evidence-based interventions to improve sleep.
“Other studies have showed us that firefighters’ personal circumstances and shift schedules often dictate their sleep,” says principal investigator Patricia Haynes, PhD, CBSM, DBSM, in a release. Her previous research found that more recovery sleep in firefighters during off days is associated with less stress and irritability.
Researchers will work with 20 fire agencies across Arizona to evaluate a flexible, personalized sleep health intervention that can be administered in real-world situations. The study team also aims to train fire service managers and promote the benefits of sleep and recovery within the fire service.
“A sleep intervention is most likely to be successful and utilized if it is tailored to the firefighter and a firefighter lifestyle,” says Haynes, one of several faculty at the Zuckerman College of Public Health’s Center for Firefighter Health Collaborative Research whose research focuses on aspects of firefighter health, in a release.
Partnering on the research are various nonprofit and advisory stakeholder groups committed to the health of first responders, including the 100 Club of Arizona, Greater Tucson Fire Foundation, Arizona Fire Chiefs Association, and the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona.
“Dr Haynes’ innovative research and programs to support mental health and sleep health for firefighters have had proven results, and her work has benefited so many first responders,” says Iman Hakim, MD, PhD, MPH, dean of the Zuckerman College of Public Health, in a release. “We are so proud of the work she and her team members do to improve health for firefighters in Arizona, and this research can be used to help fire departments around the country.”
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