Assessing the quality of life of shift-working nurses based on their chronotypes

Introduction: Nurses' quality of life (QoL) may be influenced by chronotype, reflecting individual circadian preferences. Objective: To assess the agreement between subjective chronotype perception and MEQ classification, examine associations with age, gender, and shift work, validate the Czech NQOLS, and evaluate the effects of chronotype and ward type on QoL. Methods: A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted among nurses from several departments of a Czech university hospital. Chronotype was assessed using the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire and QoL using the NQOLS. Results: A strong association was found between subjective chronotype perception and MEQ classification (χ2 = 280.613; p < 0.001), with higher accuracy in morning types. Chronotype was significantly associated with age, showing increased morningness after 30 years (χ2 = 39.402; p < 0.001), while gender and night shifts showed no effect. Factor analysis confirmed seven reliable NQOLS dimensions (α = 0.693-0.881). The highest QoL scores were in the social domain and the lowest in sleep. Chronotype significantly affected only sleep quality (p < 0.001). ICU nurses reported lower emotional, work-related and social QoL than nurses in other wards. Conclusion: The study confirms strong agreement between perceived and measured chronotype, an age-related shift toward morningness, lower QoL among ICU nurses, and very good reliability of the Czech NQOLS.