The number of steps taken by flight attendants during international long-haul flights

Background: Previous studies have revealed that female cabin attendants on long flights are most likely to have health problems. Since health problems can be related to workload and work stress and since the number of steps t aken by an employee during a work shift can be an objective measure of the work load of cabin attendants, it is necessary to evaluate the predictors o f the number of steps. Methods: We used pedometers worn by 118 female fligh t attendants to study the number of steps during flights and its predictors during long international flights. Results: The mean number of steps durin g 636.53 (SD = 129.11)-minute flights was 10,742.85 (SD = 3,547.17). The cr ude number of steps per minute was 16.88, and the adjusted number of steps per minute was 14.04. Flight length and the number of sleeping hours worked (i.e., between midnight and 6:00 am) were significant predictors of the nu mber of steps. Conclusion: Although it is implied that flight duration and night flight increase the work load of flight attendants, we need to consid er psychological aspects to evaluate the overall effects of their jobs on w ork stress and health.