Investigating the Effect of Insomnia Severity on the Employees’ Work Ability in Construction Projects

The work ability index (WAI) is a very important factor in planning a job and selecting suitable people for different occupations, and it can be affected by different factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of insomnia severity on the employees’ work ability in a construction project.

This descriptive-analytical research has studied 213 employees of construction projects. Morin insomnia severity index (ISI) was used to evaluate the insomnia severity. Moreover, work ability was assessed using a questionnaire designed by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. Statistical data analysis was performed by SPSS19.

The mean age and working experience of the individuals were respectively 36.2 and 11.27 years. The mean and standard deviation of the insomnia severity index was 6.76(2.5). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that insomnia severity, marital status, type of employment, and smoking had a significant effect on work ability index (WAI); so that the mentioned variables explained about 24% of the WAI variance.

Since sleep disorders and poor sleep quality can significantly decrease the work ability of employees, it is important to pay attention to sleep-rest programs to maintain and increase work ability and productivity.