Department of Physiology, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bangalore
*Corresponding author: H H Sudhakar, Professor & Head, Department of Physiology, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore. Ph.:- 080-26712791, Mob.:- 09844521274, Fax - 080-26712798, Email: haddinakallu@yahoo.com
Online published on 9 September, 2013.
Information Technology industry is the most rapidly expanding sector in India in the last two decades. BPO sector is a major part of IT industry with around 4.5 million employees of which 35% are women. These women employees are subjected to high work stress, odd working hours and frequent shift changes apart from environmental & domestic stressors leading to increased physical and mental health problems.
To study the cognitive functions - mental speed, attention & working memory in female BPO employees exposed to regular shifts.
50 female BPO employees exposed to regular shifts were assessed for speed and attention functions. They were compared with 50 female non BPO employees not working in shifts.
BPO employees performed poorly compared to their controls in tests for mental speed. No changes were seen between groups in test for attention & working memory.
Cognitive functions are partly impaired in female BPO employees exposed to regular shift changes.
BPO, Mental Speed, Attention, Shift work
