Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common chronic disease that negatively affects physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of allergic rhinitis on sleep, fatigue, and depressive symptoms among Korean female nurses. This was a cross-sectional study conducted using data from the Korea Nurses’ Health Study (KNHS), and a total of 8645 female nurses was selected for the final analysis. The demographic characteristics, Body Mass Index, alcohol consumption, shift work, comorbidities (atopic dermatitis and asthma), self-rated health, sleep disturbance (Jenkins Sleep Questionnaire), fatigue (Chalder Fatigue Scale), and depressive symptoms (Perceived Health Questionnaire-9) were collected. The data were analyzed using chi-square tests, t-tests, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Participants with allergic rhinitis had significantly greater sleep disturbance, fatigue, and depressive symptoms than those without allergic rhinitis, and allergic rhinitis was a significant factor influencing sleep disturbance and fatigue among the participants after controlling for confounding variables. Therefore, it is imperative to develop effective interventions to manage allergic rhinitis symptoms and improve sleep and fatigue in affected nurses.

Despite the high risk of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and stress/depressive symptoms in nurses, limited research has examined the relationship between these conditions in female nurses. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of IBS and the influence of IBS on stress and depressive symptoms in female nurses. We analyzed the data from the Korea Nurses’ Health Study. Among 7667 participants from the 7th survey conducted from December 2018 to September 2019, 178 nurses were identified as having IBS based on the Rome IV criteria. Using the propensity score matching, 712 were selected as a comparison group. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the influence of IBS on stress and depressive symptoms. The prevalence of IBS was 2.3% and the prevalence of depressive symptoms among nurses with IBS was 13.5%. Female nurses with IBS were 2.214 times more likely to experience increased stress levels. However, when demographics, dietary habits, sleep quality, and depressive symptoms were considered, having IBS was no longer an influential factor for increased stress levels. When all the variables were considered, female nurses with IBS were still 2.205 times more likely to experience depressive symptoms. Adequate support is needed to relieve depressive symptoms in nurses with IBS.