[Effects of shift work on health] (original) (raw)
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Shift work and chronic disease: the epidemiological evidence.
Background: Shift work, including night work, has been hypothesized to increase the risk of chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Recent reviews of evidence relating to these hypotheses have focussed on specific diseases or potential mechanisms, but no general summary of the current data on shift work and chronic disease has been published. Methods: Systematic and critical reviews and recent original studies indexed in PubMed prior to 31 December 2009 were retrieved, aided by manual searches of reference lists. The main conclusions from reviews and principle results from recent studies are presented in text and tables. Results: Published evidence is suggestive but not conclusive for an adverse association between night work and breast cancer but limited and inconsistent for cancers at other sites and all cancers combined. Findings on shift work, in relation to risks of CVD, metabolic syndrome and diabetes are also suggestive but not conclusive for an adverse relationship. Conclusions: Heterogeneity of study exposures and outcomes and emphasis on positive but non-significant results make it difficult to draw general conclusions. Further data are needed for additional disease endpoints and study populations.
THE ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS OF SHIFT WORK IN RELATION TO RISK OF ILLNESS/DISEASE: A REVIEW
Biological rhythm of sleeping is a natural disparity in an organism corresponding to and in reply to cyclic environmental changes, such as daylight hours and hours of darkness or elevated and low down fl ow. There is some evidence, based upon epidemiological studies as well as studies upon smaller groups of subjects, that individuals who work during the night and sleep during the daytime show cognitive impairment at work, have poorer and fragmented daytime sleep, and have increased risks of developing a wide range of social, psychological, physiological and medical impairments and disorders. Circadian rhythms are one of the most important effective factors on the physiological and physical performances of humans and disturbing this normal rhythm leads to different groups of diseases. The majority of investigations in biological rhythm demeanor vary noticeably in regards to the exact type of disease, population and protocols of sampling over the other outcomes or issues. We conducted a systematic review of [Science Direct, Pubmed, Scopus] to identify infl uence of different kinds of diseases among shift workers in response to abnormal rhythm of sleeping. The results of this review indicate that abnormal patterns of sleeping can lead to immunological issues, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, insomnia, cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression. It is vital for subsequent investigations to fi nd a way to reduce negative effects (such as decreased amount of works’ time and altered diet) without side effects to help them.
Shift work and health: current problems and preventive actions
Safety and health at work, 2010
The paper gives an overview of the problems to be tackled nowadays by occupational health with regards to shift work as well as the main guidelines at organizational and medical levels on how to protect workers' health and well-being. Working time organization is becoming a key factor on account of new technologies, market globalization, economic competition, and extension of social services to general populations, all of which involve more and more people in continuous assistance and control of work processes over the 24 hours in a day. The large increase of epidemiological and clinical studies on this issue document the severity of this risk factor on human health and well being, at both social and psychophysical levels, starting from a disruption of biological circadian rhythms and sleep/wake cycle and ending in several psychosomatic troubles and disorders, likely also including cancer, and extending to impairment of performance efficiency as well as family and social life. A...
2011
Background and aims: Shift work that affects diverse aspects of human life is arranged in various schedules, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. This study was carried out with the objectives of determination of common 12-hour shift schedules in petrochemical plants, comparison of shift work health-related problems among employees working in different shift schedules and recommendation of appropriate shift schedule for decrement of related health problems. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at 8 petrochemical plants in Asalooyeh region related to National Petrochemical Industries in which 12-hour shift schedules were applied. Study population consisted of 549 shift workers with age mean of 29.83±5.75 years. Data on personal details, shift schedule and adverse health effects of shift work (i.e. gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, psychological, sleep etc. disorders) were collected by anonymous questionnaire. Results: Among 549 studied shift employees, 39.6% worked in 4N-7D-3N-7Res (4night-7day-3night-7rest), 29.1% in 7N-7D-7Res and 31.3% in 7D-7N-7Res schedules. Statistical comparison showed that the prevalence of health problems such as gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disorders among 7D-7N-7Res schedule shift workers were significantly higher than that of other schedules (p<0.05). Furthermore, the results revealed that the prevalence rates of health problems among 4N-7D-3N-7Res schedule shift workers were higher than 7N-7D-7Res schedule workers, but the differences were not significant (p>0.05). Conclusions: Prevalence of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disorders in all schedules were high, but odds ratios of all problems among 7D-7N-7Res schedule shiftworkers were significantly more than those of the shift workers of the other schedules. This schedule should, therefore, be changed to decrease related-health problems. Fixed 14D/14N schedule may be an appropriate substitution.
International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE, 2012
The main purposes of this study were to investigate shift-work-related health problems in 12-h shift schedule and to identify major factors associated with these problems. This cross-sectional study was conducted at 8 petrochemical plants. The study population consisted of 1203 workers (549 shift and 654 day workers). Data on personal details, the shift schedule and adverse health outcomes were collected with a self-administered questionnaire. The results showed that health problems in shift workers were more prevalent than in day workers; however, the differences were significant only in gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal disorders. Logistic regression analysis revealed that in addition to shift work, other variables such as extended work time, type of employment, second job and job unit were associated with health problems. Working shifts is one important variable influencing the health of petrochemical workers. To improve workers' health, interventional program should focus...
The Health Effects of Shift Work
Shift workers represent some 20-30% of the working population in the Western world but 20% of these leave shift work due to social reasons. Most people are unaware of the health risk and other negative effects of shift work.
The prevalence and health impact of shiftwork
American Journal of Public Health, 1986
Data from the National Center for Health Statistics National Survey of Personal Health Practices and Consequences were analyzed to determine the impact of variable shift schedules on health-related behaviors of persons in the United States labor force. Twenty-six per cent of men and 18 per cent of women in the US labor force reported working a variable shift in Spring 1980. As compared
Shift work and its effects on the cardiovascular system
Cardiovascular Journal of Africa, 2008
The practice of shift-work scheduling has long been part of normal work duties in emergency services such as health and security. it is only recently, in the wake of growing job opportunities and booming industries, where more employees are needed to keep services running over 24-hour periods that studies on the effects of shift work on workers' health have begun to delve deeper. The desynchronisation that occurs in circadian rhythms, with respect to sleep cycles, predisposes employees to coronary heart disease, gastrointestinal disturbances, increased risk of breast cancer and poor pregnancy outcomes. This literature review focuses on circadian rhythms, their molecular components, disturbances of these rhythms as a result of shift work and the adverse effects thereof on the cardiovascular system.
Shift work and occupational medicine: an overview
Occupational Medicine, 2003
In modern society, more and more people work during 'non-standard' working hours, including shift and night work, which are recognized risk factors for health, safety and social well-being. Suitable preventive and protective measures are required to mitigate the adverse effects and ensure that the worker can cope satisfactorily. These are based mainly on the organization of shift schedules according to ergonomic criteria and on specific medical surveillance. Occupational medicine has to consider very carefully the several factors (psycho-physiological, pathological and social) that can influence tolerance and/or maladaptation.