Sleep quality mediates the relationship between work–family conflicts and the self-perceived health status among hospital nurses

Aims: To examine the effects of work–family conflicts and sleep quality on the self-perceived health status and the mediating effect of sleep quality on the relationship between work–family conflicts and self-perceived health status among hospital nurses. Background: Studies related to hospital nurses’ work–family conflicts, sleep quality and health status are noteworthy but limited. Methods: A total of 575 hospital nurses in Taiwan were recruited. Data were collected using the work–family conflicts Scale, Chinese Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Chinese Health Questionnaire. Independent t-tests, chi-squared tests, multivariate linear regression analyses and the Sobel test were used for analysis. Results: Fifty-six per cent of all subjects reported having good health. Significantly more nurses with good sleep reported good health than those with poor sleep (84.2% vs. 44.9%, p < 0.0001). The difference in overall work–family conflict scores between the good health group and poor health group was significant (37.3 ± 12.7 vs. 46.3 ± 14.3, p < 0.0001). The correlation between overall work–family conflicts and the self-perceived health status was indirect, and sleep quality was a mediator (Sobel test: 5.007, p < 0.001). Conclusions and Implications for Nursing Management: Work–family conflicts and poor sleep quality of hospital nurses were associated with poor health. Shift work influences the sleep quality, which mediates the correlation between work–family conflicts and self-perceived health status. Hospital administrators should be aware of these stressful factors and the health of hospital nurses can be better promoted.