Implementing a sleep health education and sleep disorders screening program in fire departments: A comparison of methodology

Laura K. Barger, Conor S. O'Brien, Shanthakumar M.W. Rajaratnam, Salim Qadri, Jason P. Sullivan, Wei Wang, Charles A. Czeisler, Steven W. Lockley

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:: The objective of this study is to compare three methods of administering a sleep health program (SHP) in fire departments. METHODS:: An SHP, comprising sleep health education and screening for common sleep disorders, was implemented in eight fire departments using three approaches: expert-led, train-the-trainer, and online. Participation rates, knowledge assessments, surveys, and focus group interviews were analyzed to assess the reach and effectiveness of the methodologies. RESULTS:: The Expert-led SHP had the highest participation rate, greatest improvement in knowledge scores, and prompted more firefighters to seek clinical sleep disorder evaluations (41 ) than the other approaches (20 to 25 ). Forty-two percent of focus group participants reported changing their sleep behaviors. CONCLUSION:: All approaches yielded reasonable participation rates, but expert-led programs had the greatest reach and effectiveness in educating and screening firefighters for sleep disorders.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)601-609
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Volume58
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2016

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