Sleep in Adolescents Attending Australian Boarding Schools: A Review and Interim Recommendations

Boarding schools, by definition, house students in residence either on campus or close by in residential facilities - where the sleep environment is likely to differ from their home environment. For boarders, being in the boarding environment occurs alongside a convergence of psychosocial and physiological factors likely to impact adolescent sleep. This paper comprises a review of the literature on sleep and boarding students in the Australian context. We also propose recommendations aligned with the scientific evidence base that can be used to promote healthy sleep in Australian boarding school students, focusing on staff training and sleep knowledge, daily routines, sleeping arrangements, and student mental health and wellbeing. It must be noted that these recommendations should be considered interim recommendations until further research is performed in the area. Further, we suggest the development of standardised practice guidelines, to ensure that student sleep is supported appropriately within the Australian boarding context

Measuring oral fatty acid thresholds, fat perception, fatty food liking, and papillae density in humans

Oral chemoreception of fatty acids and the association with diet and fatty food preferences may enable the identification of mechanisms involved with the development of obesity and why dietary changes may be difficult for many individuals

Design of a valid simulation for researching physical, physiological and cognitive performance in volunteer firefighters during bushfire deployment.

Every year, Australian firefighters protect our nation from the devastation of bushfire. Understanding the impact of consecutive long shifts in hot, smoky conditions is essential for making decisions during campaign fires. At present, the evidence-base for such decisions is limited to laboratory studies with little relevance to bushfire suppression or field research where the impact of environmental and workload stressors cannot be measured. To counter these limitations, we have developed a three-day simulation that mimics the work and environment of campaign bushfire suppression. Construction of the simulation involved three stages; 1) data collection and analysis; 2) design and development; and 3) trial and refinement. The frequency, intensity, duration and type of physical work performed on the fireground is well documented and a modified applied cognitive task analysis, using experienced firefighters was used as a framework to describe in detail the non-physical aspects of the work. The design and development of the simulation incorporated the physical and non-physical aspects of the work into simulated tasks. Finally, experienced firefighters participated in trials of the simulation and reviewed digital recordings to ensure that the simulation accurately represented campaign bushfire suppression work. The outcome of this project is a valid, realistic, and reliable simulation of the physiological, physical and cognitive aspects of a volunteer firefighter on a three-day bushfire deployment.<br /

How the chance of missing the alarm during an on-call shift affects pre-bed anxiety, sleep and next day cognitive performance

© 2018 Elsevier. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This author accepted manuscript is made available following 12 month embargo from date of publication (September 2018) in accordance with the publisher’s archiving policy.This study investigated how the likelihood of missing an alarm affects pre-bed anxiety, sleep and next day cognitive performance during on-call shifts. Participants (n=24) completed one adaptation night, one control night and two on-call nights in a time-isolated sleep laboratory. On one of the on-call nights, participants were informed that they would be woken by a loud alarm that they would definitely not be able to sleep through (low likelihood of missing the alarm). On the other on-call night, participants were informed that they would be woken by a quiet alarm that they may sleep through (high likelihood of missing the alarm). The two on-call nights were counterbalanced. Pre-bed anxiety was measured using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory x-1, while sleep macro- and micro-architecture was examined via routine polysomnography and power spectral analyses respectively. Following each sleep, cognitive performance was assessed four times (0930, 1200, 1430, 1700) using the 10-min psychomotor vigilance task (PVT). Results indicated that while pre-bed anxiety was similarly increased during both high and low likelihood of missing the on-call alarm conditions compared with control, only in the high likelihood condition was total sleep time shorter and sleep efficiency lower compared with the control condition. However, more wake after sleep onset was found in the low likelihood condition compared with control. PVT data indicate that response times (mean reciprocal and mean fastest 10% of reaction time) were fastest in the low likelihood condition, indicating better performance when compared with both other conditions. However, there were significantly more lapses in the low likelihood condition compared with control. No significant EEG power spectral differences were observed. As such, it appears that there are detrimental effects of both on-call conditions on anxiety, sleep and performance, with sleep poorest when the likelihood of missing the alarm is high. The adverse impacts on sleep and performance outcomes while on-call may be mitigated by the implementation of workplace systems to reduce the likelihood of missing alarms (e.g., having two available options for contacting on-call workers).This study was funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery grant (DP 150104497). Funding for Madeline Sprajcer’s PhD scholarship was provided by this grant. Dr Grace Vincent is supported by an Early Career Fellowship at Central Queensland University

The impact of on-call work on anxiety, sleep, and cognitive performance in a laboratory environment

Given the current production and service requirements for many organisations, 24/7 operations have become increasingly commonplace. This has resulted in a greater use of non-standard working arrangements, including shift work, and increasingly, on-call work. Despite being operationally essential for many industries, there has been limited research on the human impact of on-call work. There is evidence to suggest that workers experience increased anxiety surrounding their on-call periods, which has been linked with poorer sleep outcomes. It is well known that poor sleep can result in significant cognitive and work performance decrements. As such, it is vital to understand any changes to anxiety and subsequent sleep, as decrements may have far reaching implications for worker and organisational health and safety. This is particularly pertinent as on-call work is often performed in response to emergency situations or in workplaces with high levels of safety risk (i.e., emergency services, healthcare, power network services). Despite the potentially severe consequences of impaired cognitive performance when on-call, no research has determined which components of on-call work may lead to increased worker anxiety and poorer sleep. Additionally, little previous research has investigated the effects of on-call periods decoupled from the sleep restriction that accompanies the calls and call-outs themselves. As such, this thesis investigates how certain components of on-call work affect anxiety, sleep, and cognitive performance in a laboratory context, without the confounding effect of shortened or interrupted sleep periods. This thesis consists of three studies, each designed to address one component of on-call work thought to cause anxiety. Seventy-two healthy, male participants were recruited to participate in a four-night laboratory study in the Appleton Institute’s time-isolated sleep laboratory (n = 24 per study). The same methodology was employed in each study, aside from the on-call conditions they comprised. The four nights of each study were; an adaptation night, a control night (not on-call), and two counterbalanced on-call nights designed to address specific on-call components. These components were; Study 1: The likelihood of receiving a call (on-call conditions = definitely and maybe; Chapter 3), Study 2: How stressful the tasks to be performed on-call are (on-call conditions = high stress and low stress; Chapter 4), and Study 3: The perceived chance of missing the alarm (on-call conditions = high chance and low chance; Chapter 5). Participants were given instructions regarding their on-call status prior to bed each night. Outcome measures included pre-bed state anxiety, sleep (as measured by both polysomnography and quantitative electroencephalographic assessment), and next day cognitive performance. The effect of trait anxiety on state anxiety, sleep, and cognitive performance was measured across all three studies. The relationship between trait anxiety and each of these outcome variables was examined in the context of each on-call component, to determine if higher levels of trait anxiety result in poorer tolerance of on-call work (Chapter 6). Results indicated that conditions with uncertainty around the on-call alarm resulted in poorer sleep and cognitive performance. These differences were seen when participants were instructed that they may be called (Chapter 3), and when there was a high chance of missing the alarm (Chapter 5). Further, next day cognitive performance improved when participants performed a high stress task on-call, compared with a low stress task, potentially as a result of increased physiological and psychological arousal (Chapter 4). However, the magnitude of these changes was limited. When the effect of trait anxiety was examined in the context of these three studies, it appeared that individuals with lower trait anxiety were no more tolerant of on-call working arrangements than those with higher trait anxiety (Chapter 6). From this thesis we can conclude that there are some components of on-call work that affect anxiety, sleep, and cognitive performance outcomes more than others. Specifically, the uncertainty around calls seems to produce the most noticeable decrements, though these decrements were not large in magnitude. The findings of this thesis suggest potentially simple, cost-effective strategies for minimising the uncertainty surrounding on-call periods (e.g., a backup call system, or the identification and management of call likelihood). Additionally, findings suggest that there may be some protective effects of performing high stress tasks on cognitive performance on-call. However, it is important to note that this protective effect was apparent under laboratory conditions with just one high stress on-call night, and must be interpreted with caution. These findings are presented with a view to making on-call periods safer and more productive for workers and organisations

Wastogram: Validation of a new tool to measure household food waste

Globally, over a billion tonnes of food is diverted to waste streams every year. To design and implement strategies to minimise food waste, it is critical to understand current food waste behaviours, including what, and how much, food is being wasted at the household level. The gold standard method to measure household waste involves the collection of food waste in a bin, which is then weighed and sorted. Where this type of analysis is not possible, or too expensive, self-report instruments are typically used – though this method is typically considered to have poor accuracy due to recall and social desirability biases. Several studies have used photographs to measure food waste, which has the potential to significantly reduce both participant and assessor burden. However, this approach has not been well-validated. Thus, the primary aim of the present study was to develop and test the psychometric properties of a photographic tool to document, measure and report food waste (the ‘Wastogram’). Given the novelty of the approach and the potential benefits associated with scaling this method, a secondary aim was to see if different training techniques (text instructions only versus text instructions plus a supplementary video) influenced adoption and/or compliance. Fifty-eight participants collected their household food waste over one week using all three measurement strategies, half of whom were provided with the instructional video. Findings revealed that the Wastogram was as accurate as the bin audit proxy measure (F (1,56) = 3291.76, p < .001, R2 = 0.98) and less onerous for the researcher to decipher food types and states. Further, the Wastogram was more accurate than the self-report measure, when compared to the bin audit proxy measure (F (1,56) = 71.06, p < .001, R2 = 0.56). For participants who were provided video instructions in addition to text instructions, the Wastogram accounted for 100% of the variation in bin caddy weight, compared with 96.4% for the group who received only text instructions. The findings of the present study suggest that the Wastogram methodology has the potential to accurately measure the impact of food waste reduction program at a lower cost than traditional bin audit methods. This could significantly improve our ability to accurately measure food waste at the household level and to better assess the impact of intervention programs subject to recall and social desirability bias

How much advance notice do workers need? A review and theoretical framework for determining advance notice periods for unpredictable work

Regulatory guidance materials for fatigue management typically advise that employees be provided with days or weeks of advance notice of schedules/rosters. However, the scientific evidence underpinning this advice is unclear. A systematic search was performed on current peer reviewed literature addressing advance notice periods, which found three relevant studies. A subsequent search of grey literature to determine the quality of evidence for the recommendation for advance notice periods returned 37 relevant documents. This review found that fatigue management guidance materials frequently advocated advance notice for work shifts but did not provide empirical evidence to underpin the advice. Although it is logical to suggest that longer notice periods may result in increased opportunities for pre-work preparations, improved sleep, and reduced worker fatigue, the current guidance appears to be premised on this reasoning rather than empirical evidence. Paradoxically, it is possible that advance notice could be counterproductive, as too much may result in frequent alterations to the schedule, particularly where adjustments to start and end times of the work period are not uncommon (e.g., road transport, rail). To assist organisations in determining the appropriate amount of advance notice to provide, we propose a novel theoretical framework to conceptualise advance notice

Revisiting gendered parenting of adolescents: understanding its effects on psychosocial development

Today’s adolescents are growing up in a unique sociocultural climate in which gender issues are highly prominent. Alongside new ways of understanding gender identity, there are persistent gender disparities in social, health and mental health outcomes despite increasingly egalitarian views and a significant public focus on sexual assault and gender-based violence. Given gender-differentiated outcomes emerge during adolescence, it is critical to revisit factors influencing adolescent gender development. It has been argued that gendered parenting, reflected in differences in parenting attitudes and behaviors directed towards boys and girls, influences gender development. While numerous studies have examined gendered parenting with children, there has been no previous synthesis of gendered parenting of adolescents. Method: The current narrative review presents an overview of research into gendered parenting of adolescents, including parental modelling, gendered environments, and specific parenting practices, and draws together the available research on how it impacts adolescents. Gendered parenting is also examined in the context of LGBTQI + and gender non-conforming adolescents. Results: There is limited research investigating the presence of gendered parenting of adolescents, and even less assessing its impact on adolescent psychosocial outcomes. The available literature suggests that there may be effects of gendered parenting on adolescents, particularly on their gender role attitudes and gender-typed behaviors. Conclusions: Future work is needed to better understand how gendered parenting of adolescents manifests in the family home. In addition, research is needed to examine the longitudinal impact of gendered parenting, particularly within non-traditional families, and across a range of sociocultural contexts

How much sleep do you need? A comprehensive review of fatigue related impairment and the capacity to work or drive safely

In developed countries, deaths attributable to driving or working while intoxicated have steadily declined over recent decades. In part, this has been due to (a) public education programs about the risks and (b) the deterrence value associated with penalties and prosecutions based on an individual being ‘deemed impaired’ if they exceed a proscribed level of blood alcohol or drug concentration while driving/working. In contrast, the relative proportion of fatigue-related accidents have remained stubbornly high despite significant public and workplace education. As such, it may be useful to introduce the legal principle of ‘deemed impaired’ with respect to fatigue and/or sleep loss. A comprehensive review of the impairment and accident literature was performed, including 44 relevant publications. Findings from this review suggests that a driver or worker might reasonably be ‘deemed impaired’ once the amount of sleep falls below five hours in the prior 24. Building on the legal principles first outlined in recent New Jersey legislation (Maggie's Law), this review argues that an individual can reasonably be ‘deemed impaired’ based on prior sleep wake behaviour. In Maggie's Law, a driver can be indirectly ‘deemed impaired’ if they have not slept in the prior 24 h. Based on the extant literature, we argue that, relative to drug and alcohol intoxication, this may be overly conservative. While roadside measurement of fatigue and prior sleep-wake behavior is not yet possible, we suggest that public education programs should provide specific guidance on the amount of sleep required and that post-accident forensic examination of prior sleep wake behaviours may help the community to determine unsafe behaviours and liability more objectively than is currently the case. © 2020 Elsevier Lt

Sleeping at work : not all about location, location, location

Working arrangements in industries that use non-standard hours sometimes necessitate an‘onsite’ workforce where workers sleep in accommodation within or adjacent to the workplace. Of particular relevance to these workers is the widely held (and largely anecdotal) assumption that sleep at home is better than sleep away, particularly when away for work. This narrative review explores the idea that sleep outcomes in these unique work situations are the product of an interaction between numerous factors including timing and duration of breaks, commute length, sleeping environment (noise, movement, vibration, light), circadian phase, demographic factors and familiarity with the sleep location.Based on the data presented in this review, it is our contention that the location of sleep, whilst important, is secondary to other factors such as the timing and duration of sleep periods. We suggest that future research should include measures that allow conceptualisation of other critical factors such as familiarity with the sleeping environment