Table 2 Independent risk factors for reporting sleepiness and fatigue-related clinical error
Risk factorParticipants ()ESS >10 OR (95 CI)Sleepy at the wheel OR (95 CI)Fatigue-related clinical error OR (95 CI)
Gender
Male51.51.001.001.00
Female48.51.34 (1.02 to 1.78)1.18 (0.90 to 1.57)1.02 (0.79 to 1.33)
Ethnicity
Non-Maori New Zealanders70.01.00Univariate NS1.00
New Zealand Maori3.61.43 (0.70 to 2.94)0.94 (0.47 to 1.87)
Other26.41.74 (1.27 to 2.37)0.59 (0.43 to 0.81)
Age (years)
202624.3Univariate NS1.001.00
272927.90.96 (0.62 to 1.48)0.75 (0.51 to 1.10)
303325.10.76 (0.46 to 1.23)0.62 (0.39 to 0.97)
345722.70.59 (0.35 to 1.00)0.62 (0.38 to 1.04)
Living with dependants
No72.7Univariate NS1.001.00
Yes27.30.91 (0.63 to 1.31)1.20 (0.83 to 1.73)
Career status
Registrar60.71.001.001.00
House officer39.31.29 (0.97 to 1.72)1.48 (1.04 to 2.11)1.78 (1.28 to 2.46)
Commuting time (min)
11549.2Univariate NS1.00Univariate NS
163040.81.89 (1.41 to 2.53)
>3010.13.13 (1.86 to 5.28)
Days worked, past 2 weeks (n)
01040.3Univariate NS1.00Univariate NS
>1059.71.10 (0.83 to 1.47)
Hours worked, past 2 weeks
No excess39.71.00Univariate NSUnivariate NS
Small excess41.50.96 (0.69 to 1.34)
Large excess18.81.54 (1.02 to 2.33)
2 Shifts/week >14 hours
No59.3Univariate NS1.001.00
Yes40.71.10 (0.82 to 1.48)1.11 (0.79 to 1.54)
Night duty, past 2 weeks
1 Night in both weeks64.11.001.001.00
2 in at least 1 week8.01.51 (0.90 to 2.52)1.08 (0.63 to 1.86)0.96 (0.57 to 1.61)
3 in one or both weeks27.91.53 (1.02 to 2.33)1.53 (1.11 to 2.12)1.37 (1.03 to 1.84)
Breaks <10 hours, past 2 weeks (n)
None36.51.00Univariate NS1.00
1 a week27.91.21 (0.84 to 1.76)0.96 (0.69 to 1.43)
>1 in at least 1 week35.61.47 (0.97 to 2.22)1.27 (0.87 to 1.85)
Schedule changes, past 2 weeks
No changes53.91.001.001.00
Change in one week17.31.35 (0.92 to 1.96)1.60 (1.08 to 2.35)1.33 (0.93 to 1.88)
Change in both weeks28.81.81 (1.31 to 2.50)1.78 (1.28 to 2.48)0.99 (0.73 to 1.34)
Adequate supervision
Never/rarely/sometimes28.41.001.001.00
Often/always71.60.67 (0.50 to 0.91)0.60 (0.43 to 0.82)0.68 (0.51 to 0.91)
Total risk score, past week
Lower36.91.001.001.00
Significant31.41.85 (1.30 to 2.63)1.53 (1.10 to 2.13)1.31 (0.95 to 1.80)
Higher31.73.54 (2.51 to 4.98)2.33 (1.65 to 3.30)1.85 (1.35 to 2.53)
  • The house officer category includes both house surgeons and senior house officers.