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Objective: Shift work is associated with circadian misalignment, sleep loss, and suboptimal health behaviors, which may contribute to longer term negative health outcomes. To inform future interventions for shift workers, the present study aimed to develop and evaluate the Health Belief Model for Shift Workers (HBM-SW) scale. Methods: The HBM-SW development involved a seven-step process, including a literature review, expert panel analysis, cognitive interviews with shift workers, and a trial with a pilot sample of shift workers (n = 153). Utilizing exploratory factor analysis for factor identification and item reduction, the developed scale loaded on seven factors in line with the theoretical framework of the Health Belief Model: Perceived Threat, Perceived Severity, Perceived Benefits, Perceived Barriers, Cues to Action, Self-efficacy, and Health Motivation. Validation of the scale was conducted utilizing Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and Food Frequency Questionnaire. Results: The pilot sample had an average age of 34.0 (18.0) years, was majority female (54.2%), with an average of 8.0 (11.0) years shift work experience. The HBM-SW showed good - excellent (a = 0.74-0.93) internal consistency and moderate - good (ICC = 0.64-0.89) test re-test reliability. Using health behavior outcome measures, the HBM-SW scale showed meaningful correlations with sleep quality, sleep duration, diet quality and leisure time physical activity, and acceptable validity and reliability. Further testing should be conducted in a larger sample to facilitate confirmatory factor analysis. Conclusions: The developed Health Belief Model for Shift Workers scale is likely beneficial for use in future studies of interventions for shift workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New mothers generally experience poor and/or disrupted sleep. A range of infant care and mental health factors may impact new mothers' sleep quality. A cross-sectional online survey was completed by a sample of 101 Australian new mothers with children under 12 months (M = 5.52 months, SD = 3.29 months) to examine the relationship between infant feeding method, infant sleeping location, and postpartum depression with maternal sleep quality. Subjective maternal sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and postpartum depression was measured using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS). Overall, new mothers experienced poor subjective sleep quality, with high average PSQI scores, above the cut-off of 5 (M = 9.63, SD = 4.07). The majority of new mothers did not experience postpartum depression, with an average EPDS score below the cut-off of 11 (8.66, SD = 5.20). Mothers who breastfed their infants experienced significantly better subjective sleep quality than mothers who bottle-fed, with a medium effect size (ηp2 = 0.458). Subjective maternal sleep quality did not differ based on infant sleeping location. Poor subjective maternal sleep quality was a significant predictor of postpartum depression. While poor sleep was common in this sample of Australian new mothers, this study demonstrated that new mothers who breastfeed may experience slightly better subjective sleep quality than other feeding methods. Further research into, and better services for the education and advocation of, new mothers' sleep quality will be beneficial to both new mothers and clinicians. • New mothers typically experience poor and/or disrupted sleep. • Their sleep can be impacted by personal factors and factors relating to infant care. • Breastfeeding was associated with better maternal sleep quality. • Maternal sleep quality was associated with infant sleeping location. • Poor maternal sleep quality predicted postpartum depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• >50% of new mothers who regularly drove did so while fatigued at least a few times each month. • 8.4% of new mothers reported having a near miss while driving every month. • New mothers should be categorised as an at-risk group for fatigued driving. During the first year of their child's life, mothers typically experience disrupted sleep and high levels of daytime fatigue. Other populations who experience sleep disruption and/or fatigue are considered to be at risk for fatigued driving. However, the degree of fatigue-related risk experienced by new mothers in Australia is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of fatigued driving, fatigue-related near misses, and vehicle crashes in this population. A cross-sectional survey including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and a range of fatigue and driving questions was completed by 187 Australian new mothers. Over 50% of participants who regularly drove did so while fatigued at least a few times per month. Furthermore, most participants who reported near misses indicated that either some or more than some of these incidents were attributable to fatigue (>70%). Similarly, >55% of participants who reported experiencing a motor vehicle crash since the birth of their child indicated that this crash was caused by fatigue. These findings suggest that new mothers may be considered an at-risk group for fatigued driving. To address this issue, it may be appropriate to provide education around driver safety, and to establish strategies to help minimise fatigue-related driving risk in this population. Furthermore, future research should include objectively measured sleep to establish the link more accurately between prior sleep and driver safety in new mothers in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]