Increased physical workload in home care service is associated with reduced recovery from work.

Objective: This study investigated the physical workload of home care service workers and determined whether the different intensities of physical work strain experienced by home care nurses have different impacts on their recovery from work.

Methods: Physical workload and recovery were measured among 95 home care nurses based on heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) recordings during one work shift and the following night. Differences in the physical work strain were compared between younger (≤ 44-year-old) and older (≥ 45-year-old) employees and between morning and evening shifts. To determine the effects of occupational physical activity on recovery, HRV at all time points (during the workday, when awake and asleep, and whole measurement) in relation to the amount of occupational physical activity was examined.

Results: The average physiological strain during the work shift, measured as metabolic equivalent (MET), was 1.8 ± 0.5. Moreover, the occupational physical demands in relation to maximal capacity were higher for the older employees. The results of the study showed that a higher occupational physical workload reduced the HRV of home care workers during the workday, leisure time, and sleep.

Conclusions: These data indicate that increased occupational physical workload is associated with reduced recovery among home care workers. Therefore, decreasing occupational strain and ensuring sufficient recovery is recommended.