Abstract
Our knowledge about the role of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) work-related factors on the well-being of workers across the FIFO work cycle is limited. This study examined the within-person effects of job demand and control on psychological states and health behaviours. The study employed a daily diary design, with 23 FIFO workers in the Australian mining industry completing a daily diary survey for 28 consecutive days across on-shift and off-shift periods. Multilevel analyses showed FIFO workers experienced higher positive affect and enjoyed better sleep quality, but consumed more alcohol, during off-shift days as compared to on-shift days. Within-person variability in daily demand (workload) was associated with higher anxious affect, whereas job control predicted lower anxious and depressed affects, higher positive affect, more alcohol consumption, and more physical activity. The within-person effect of demand on anxious affect was moderated by job control such that those who generally had more control over their jobs had a smaller effect of demand on anxiety than those with less control. Results suggest potentially modifiable aspects of FIFO work—particularly job control—may help alleviate the impact of workload on poorer health behaviours and mood.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Stress and Health |
| Early online date | 23 Dec 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 23 Dec 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank Mineral Resource Limited, Australia for supporting the study and advertising the study to their employees. We also extend our sincere thanks to all FIFO workers for taking part and contributing to this study. The study was funded by the Aberdeen‐Curtin Alliance International Postgraduate Research Scholarship and Research Stipend Scholarship of the University of Aberdeen, Scotland and Curtin University, Australia, awarded to Bernard Kwadwo Yeboah Asiamah‐Asare (Curtin ID: 17619778; Aberdeen ID: 51987326). Mineral Resources Limited, Australia also supported the study by providing AUD 200 shopping voucher to the winner of a raffle draw as reimbursement for study participation. The Mineral Resources Limited played no role in the design of the study, data collection and analysis, interpretation of study findings, preparation or decision to submit this manuscript for publication.
Data Availability Statement
Data availability: The data that support the findings of this study are not publicly available due to ethical and privacy restrictions.Supporting information: Additional supporting information can be found online in the Supporting Information section at the end of this article.
Keywords
- affect
- daily diary
- FIFO
- health behaviours
- job control
- job demand
