scholarly journals Shift Work and Cancer: State of Science and Practical Consequences

2012 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei Yong ◽  
Michael Nasterlack
Keyword(s):  
Shift Work ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Night Work ◽  
Shift Workers ◽  
Published Evidence ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Expert Working Group ◽  
Shift Schedules ◽  
Prostate Cancers ◽  
Exposure Metrics

Shift Work and Cancer: State of Science and Practical ConsequencesIn 2007, an expert Working Group convened by the IARC Monographs Programme concluded that shift work that involves circadian disruption is probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A). We scrutinised the epidemiological basis for this conclusion, with a focus on, but not limited to, breast and prostate cancers. We further considered practical consequences for shift workers in our industry against the background of new findings.We carried out a literature search including the epidemiological studies cited by IARC and newer available literature on shift work and cancer.Since the IARC assessment, eleven new studies have emerged, ten of which have already been published, with inconclusive results. Heterogeneity of exposure metrics and study outcomes and emphasis on positive but non-significant results make it difficult to draw general conclusions. Also, several reviews and commentaries, which have been published meanwhile, came to equivocal results. Published evidence is widely seen as suggestive but inconclusive for an adverse association between night work and breast cancer, and limited and inconsistent for cancers at other sites and all cancers combined.At this point in time it can not be ruled out that shift work including night work may increase the risk for some cancers in those who perform it. However, shift schedules can be organised in ways that minimise the associated health risks, and the risks may be further reduced through the implementation of structured and sustained health promotion programs specifically tailored to the needs of shift workers.

scholarly journals Permanent Night Work in Germany

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Corinna Brauner ◽  
Grit Müller ◽  
Anne M. Wöhrmann
Keyword(s):  
Work Life ◽  
Night Work ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Shift Workers ◽  
Shift Schedules ◽  
Heavy Truck ◽  
Reported Health ◽  
Professional Nurses ◽  
Night Shifts

Research on night work focuses almost solely on night work as part of rotating shift schedules. Thus, little is known about permanent night workers, their working conditions and health. The aim of this study is to give insight on characteristics of permanent night workers, their health status and their work–life balance. Data from the BAuA-Working Time Survey 2015 were used and 189 employees in permanent night work identified. Results are presented in comparison to statistics on employees in general and to rotating shift workers with night shifts in particular. The most common occupations among permanent night workers are professional nurses and heavy truck and lorry drivers. Night workers less often rated their health as (very) good or were satisfied with their worklife balance compared to employees in gen-eral. They also reported health complaints more often. Findings in comparison to employees working in rotating shifts with night work were mixed. The results point towards some concerns regarding health and work–life balance related to perma-nent night work.

The Use and Health Consequences of Shift Work

1980 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 405-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean Baker
Keyword(s):  
Shift Work ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
National Level ◽  
Gain Control ◽  
The United States ◽  
Shift Workers ◽  
Social Lives ◽  
Industrialized Nations ◽  
Shift Schedules ◽  
Capital Intensive

The amount of shift work has increased dramatically in all industrialized nations during the past 30 years. In the United States, more than one-quarter of workers do shift work. The proportion of shift workers is highest in service and large-scale, capital-intensive industries. Shift work has spread subsequent to the rise of industrialization and the development of large corporations. It is used primarily to maximize the profits of the owners of these industries. On the other hand, it has substantial social and economic costs in terms of the ill health of shift workers. They suffer significantly more sleeping disturbances, nervous troubles, and disturbances of the alimentary tract. They also report disruptions in their family and social lives. The adverse consequences of shift work could be decreased by designing physiologically and socially appropriate shift schedules and by providing necessary additional services for shift workers. Unfortunately, these changes will be inadequate unless they are accompanied by efforts on the national level to restrict the use of shift work. Workers must push for laws restricting shift work to industries where it is technically necessary. Since shift work is really only one manifestation of the increasingly complex social and technical organization of work forced on workers in the drive to maximize profits, they must ultimately act together to gain control over their working conditions.

scholarly journals Examining Exposure Assessment in Shift Work Research: A Study on Depression Among Nurses

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 182-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy L Hall ◽  
Renée-Louise Franche ◽  
Mieke Koehoorn
Keyword(s):  
Exposure Assessment ◽  
Shift Work ◽  
High Precision ◽  
Rotation Frequency ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Work Schedule ◽  
Shift Workers ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Shift Rotation ◽  
Work And Health

AbstractIntroductionCoarse exposure assessment and assignment is a common issue facing epidemiological studies of shift work. Such measures ignore a number of exposure characteristics that may impact on health, increasing the likelihood of biased effect estimates and masked exposure–response relationships. To demonstrate the impacts of exposure assessment precision in shift work research, this study investigated relationships between work schedule and depression in a large survey of Canadian nurses.MethodsThe Canadian 2005 National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses provided the analytic sample (n = 11450). Relationships between work schedule and depression were assessed using logistic regression models with high, moderate, and low-precision exposure groupings. The high-precision grouping described shift timing and rotation frequency, the moderate-precision grouping described shift timing, and the low-precision grouping described the presence/absence of shift work. Final model estimates were adjusted for the potential confounding effects of demographic and work variables, and bootstrap weights were used to generate sampling variances that accounted for the survey sample design.ResultsThe high-precision exposure grouping model showed the strongest relationships between work schedule and depression, with increased odds ratios [ORs] for rapidly rotating (OR = 1.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.91–2.51) and undefined rotating (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 0.92–3.02) shift workers, and a decreased OR for depression in slow rotating (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.57–1.08) shift workers. For the low- and moderate-precision exposure grouping models, weak relationships were observed for all work schedule categories (OR range 0.95 to 0.99).ConclusionsFindings from this study support the need to consider and collect the data required for precise and conceptually driven exposure assessment and assignment in future studies of shift work and health. Further research into the effects of shift rotation frequency on depression is also recommended.

scholarly journals O4E.3 Utility of routinely recorded data on working hours for an epidemiological cohort study of 60,000 swedish health care employees

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. A40.1-A40
Author(s):  
Per Gustavsson ◽  
Carolina Bigert ◽  
Theo Bodin ◽  
Jenny Selander ◽  
Mikko Härmä ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Pregnancy Outcome ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
County Council ◽  
Night Work ◽  
Shift Workers ◽  
Swedish Health Care ◽  
Shift Schedules ◽  
Year 2000

Night and shift work is common in industry and service that must be functional 24 hour. Night work disrupts the circadian rhythm, and is potentially linked to an excess of cancer (especially breast cancer), cardiovascular disease, pregnancy complications, as well as to psychical effects. Large studies with detailed and objectively collected data on working hours are needed to confirm causal associations and develop practical advice on how shift schedules should be planned in order to minimize negative health effects.Stockholm County Council employs a high number of health care workers of which many are working in shifts. We have formed a cohort of those employed from 2008 to 2016, 45 000 women and 15 000 men. The computerized employment register holds individual records on working hours day by day in retrospect since 2008, and information on night work since year 2000. Information on cancer incidence, hospital discharge diagnoses of cardiovascular disease, pregnancy outcome, and causes of sick-leave have been obtained from national central registers.There were typically three work shifts: morning shifts (07–15), afternoon shifts (14–21), and night shifts (21–07). Non shift-workers typically worked (08–17). So far, we have investigated work shift patterns for those with a high percentage of night work: nurses, assistant nurses and midwives. Among these, 22% worked at least one night per month, and 15% worked at least 5 nights per month in 2009, which increased slightly to 23% and 16% respectively in 2016. It was common to work several nights in a row: in 2009 13.8% worked at least 3 consecutive nights or more per month, which increased to 15.5% in 2016. Only 0.6% worked 5 consecutive nights or more per month.Analyses of cancer, pregnancy outcome, cardiovascular disease and psychical outcomes are planned for 2019.

Does shift work affect blood pressure values and hypertension risk? a systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Gamboa Madeira ◽  
C Fernandes ◽  
T Paiva ◽  
C Santos Moreira ◽  
D Caldeira
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Shift Work ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Night Work ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Occupational Health Services ◽  
Shift Workers ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – EU funding. Main funding source(s): Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) and Fundo Social Europeu (FSE) Introduction Modern societies function 24h/day which accounts for shift work (SW) encompassing already more than 20% of the European workforce. While the relationship between blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular events is a continuous, hypertension (HTN) remains the major preventable cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in our continent. SW has been associated with sleep disturbances, circadian misalignment and unhealthy behaviours, possibly conducting to several chronic diseases. Therefore, we aimed to determine if shift workers have higher BP values and/or HTN risk. Methods This systematic review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A literature search was performed on MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane electronic databases. Included studies reported HTN diagnosis using current thresholds and/or BP values, in both shift workers and in a control group of day workers. SW was categorized in 4 subgroups, focused mostly on night work. Pooled mean difference and 95% Confidence Intervals (95%IC) were estimated for continuous outcomes, Systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP), and pooled Odds Ratio and 95%IC were determined for HTN risk. The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale was used for quality evaluation of included studies. Results Forty-five independent studies were included engaging 117252 workers. Of these, 41 studies were included in the meta-analysis for SBP, 39 for DBP and 14 for HTN. Most studies provided cross-sectional data (n = 42), were developed in Asia (n = 21), in an industrial setting (n = 25) and included only men (n = 26). Most studies were rated as satisfactory quality (n = 23) with confounder adjustment being the weakest parameter. We found a statically significant increase for both systolic and diastolic BP among permanent night workers, 2.52mmHg [0.75–4.29] and 1.77mmHg [0.39–3.15] respectively. Amongst rotational shift workers, both with and without night work, we found a significant increase only for SBP, namely 1.28 mmHg [0.18–2.39] and 0.65 mmHg [0.07–1.22]. For HTN risk, none of SW types showed significant differences. Conclusions Certain groups of shift workers may be at special risk for increased BP. This is the first review assessing the impact of SW specifically on BP values. Although the increases were generally modest, these may play an important role among already susceptible individuals exposed overtime. The effect of SW was more consistent for SBP, which has a major impact on CVD risk. Hence, occupational health services should embrace a holistic CVD preventive approach including atypical risk factors such as SW, with active monitoring across the lifespan of more vulnerable workers.

scholarly journals The effects of dynamic daylight-like light on the rhythm, cognition, and mood of irregular shift workers in closed environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingxin Nie ◽  
Tianhang Zhou ◽  
Zhizhong Chen ◽  
Weimin Dang ◽  
Fei Jiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythm ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Shift Work ◽  
Night Work ◽  
Light Environment ◽  
Color Temperature ◽  
Shift Workers ◽  
Behavioral Rhythms ◽  
Continuous Performance Tests ◽  
Closed Environment

AbstractShift workers are mostly suffered from the disruption of circadian rhythm and health problems. In this study, we designed proper light environment to maintain stable circadian rhythm, cognitive performance, and mood status of shift workers. We used five-channel light-emitting diodes to build up the dynamic daylight-like light environment. The illuminance, correlated color temperature, and circadian action factor of light were tunable in the ranges of 226 to 678 lx, 2680 to 7314 K, and 0.32 to 0.96 throughout the day (5:30 to 19:40). During the nighttime, these parameters maintained about 200 lx, 2700 K, and 0.32, respectively. In this light environment, three subjects had engaged in shift work for 38 consecutive days. We measured plasma melatonin, activity counts, continuous performance tests, and visual analogue scale on mood to assess the rhythm, cognitive performance, and mood of subjects. After 38-day shift work, the subjects’ peak melatonin concentration increased significantly. Their physiological and behavioral rhythms maintained stable. Their cognitive performance improved significantly after night work, compared with that before night work. Their mood status had no significant change during the 38-day shift work. These results indicated that the light environment was beneficial to maintain circadian rhythm, cognitive performance and mood status during long-term shift work in closed environment.

Shedding Light on the Association between Night Work and Breast Cancer

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 608-611
Author(s):  
John W Cherrie
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Night Shift ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Female Breast Cancer ◽  
Night Work ◽  
International Agency ◽  
Shift Workers ◽  
Nighttime Light

Abstract Shift work that involves circadian disruption has been classified as probably carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, although more recent epidemiological evidence is not consistent. Several mechanisms have been postulated to explain an association between night work and female breast cancer, but the most likely is suppression of the hormone melatonin by light exposure at night. Three articles recently published in this journal describe aspects of exposure to light during night work. These articles and other evidence suggest that nighttime light levels may not always be sufficient to affect melatonin production, which could in part explain the inconsistencies in the epidemiological data. There is need to improve the specificity and reliability of exposure assessments in future epidemiological studies of night shift workers.

scholarly journals Shift Work Disorder, Insomnia, and Depression among Offshore Oil Rig Workers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khosro Sadeghniiat-Haghighi ◽  
Mohammad-Mehdi Mehrabinejad ◽  
Abdolkarim Hajighaderi ◽  
Arezu Najafi ◽  
Ania Rahimi-Golkhandan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shift Work ◽  
Persian Gulf ◽  
Daytime Sleepiness ◽  
P Value ◽  
Shift Workers ◽  
P Values ◽  
Shift Work Disorder ◽  
Shift Schedules ◽  
Oil Rig ◽  
Offshore Oil

Objective: Numerous offshore jobs require 24-hour tasks, such as in industrial workplaces (eg, oil rigs). The purpose of this study was to assess shift work disorder (SWD), insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and depression among Iranian offshore oil rig workers in different shift schedules. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted on Iranian offshore oil workers at the Persian Gulf. A questionnaire package consisted of Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI- II), and SWD filled. The scores were calculated among different groups of shift schedules (fixed-day, fixed-night, swing and standby shift workers). ISI, BDI-II, and ESS scores were also compared between individuals with or without SWD. Results: A total of 188 participants were recruited in the study, and all were male. The mean age was 37.06 ± 9.2 years. Among different shift schedules, the highest and lowest ISI and ESS scores were related to fixed-night shifts workers and fixed-day shift workers, respectively. ISI, ESS, and BDI mean scores in different shift schedules were not significantly different (p values = 0.14, 0.57, and 0.93, respectively). SWD was diagnosed in 57 (30.3%) of studied shift workers. The difference between SWD prevalence was not significant between different shift schedules (P value =0.13). Workers with SWD had higher ISI, ESS, and BDI-II score (P values <0.0001, <0.0001, and <0.0001, respectively) and workers without SWD had higher job satisfaction (p value = 0.04). Conclusion: SWD is considered as a serious health-related issue in Persian Gulf oil rig shift workers. Insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and depression are associated with SWD.

scholarly journals The Impact of Different Types of Shift Work on Blood Pressure and Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 6738
Author(s):  
Sara Gamboa Madeira ◽  
Carina Fernandes ◽  
Teresa Paiva ◽  
Carlos Santos Moreira ◽  
Daniel Caldeira
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Shift Work ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Shift Workers ◽  
Newcastle Ottawa Scale ◽  
Mean Differences ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ottawa Scale

Shift work (SW) encompasses 20% of the European workforce. Moreover, high blood pressure (BP) remains a leading cause of death globally. This review aimed to synthesize the magnitude of the potential impact of SW on systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and hypertension (HTN). MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL databases were searched for epidemiological studies evaluating BP and/or HTN diagnosis among shift workers, compared with day workers. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed and the results were expressed as pooled mean differences or odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used to assess the risk of bias. Forty-five studies were included, involving 117,252 workers. We found a significant increase in both SBD and DBP among permanent night workers (2.52 mmHg, 95% CI 0.75–4.29 and 1.76 mmHg, 95% CI 0.41–3.12, respectively). For rotational shift workers, both with and without night work, we found a significant increase but only for SBP (0.65 mmHg, 95% CI 0.07–1.22 and 1.28 mmHg, 95% CI 0.18–2.39, respectively). No differences were found for HTN. Our findings suggest that SW is associated with an increase of BP, mainly for permanent night workers and for SBP. This is of special interest given the large number of susceptible workers exposed over time.

296 Sex differences in sleep and wakefulness of police officers working shifts: evidence from a field study

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A118-A118
Author(s):  
Gabriela Caetano ◽  
Laura Kervezee ◽  
Fernando Gonzales-Aste ◽  
Philippe Boudreau ◽  
Diane Boivin
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Circadian Rhythms ◽  
Shift Work ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Shift Workers ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Time Awake

Abstract Introduction National reports of work-related injuries found the excess risk of work injury attributed to shift work to be significantly higher among women. The Working Time Society (WTS) concluded that male sex is one of the few factors that is “consistently associated with perceived or actual shift work tolerance”. However, it is unclear if physiological parameters are involved. Laboratory-controlled studies report sex differences in circadian rhythms (body temperature, melatonin). In sleep deprivation protocols, alertness and cognitive performances were affected by sex, menstrual cycle phase and hormonal contraceptives [HC] use. Nevertheless, field studies that compare male and female shift workers are scarce. Methods An observational study including 76 police officers working on patrol: 56 males and 20 females (11 using [HC], 6 not using [non-HC] and 3 with unknown use of hormonal contraception) aged 32.0 ± 5.3 years. Participants were followed throughout a month-long work cycle (1,457 morning, evening, night, or other shifts, plus rest days). They filled out time-stamped questionnaires (Samn-Perelli, KSS, Visual Analogue Scales, ~5/day; sleep and work-related information, ~1–2/day), completed 5-min Psychomotor Vigilance Tasks (PVT, ~2/day), and wore an actigraph to collect activity data. Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze the effects of group, time awake and time-of-day on fatigue, sleepiness, alertness, mood and PVT measures. Results Self-reported measures and psychomotor performance significantly varied with time awake and time-of-day. Fatigue and sleepiness levels were significantly higher among female compared to male police officers, both with time awake and across the 24-h day. These variations were similar between non-HC females and the other groups. Compared to males, HC females were more fatigued and less alert, both with time awake and across the 24-h day, and sleepier with time awake. Having children at home did not explain these differences. Conclusion The results of this study expand our knowledge on the sex differences in the sleep and circadian physiology and demonstrate a critical effect of HC on women fatigue, sleepiness and alertness when working shifts. Sex and hormonal parameters must be considered in occupational medicine as well as in future laboratory and field studies on shift workers and circadian rhythms. Support (if any) IRSST, FRQS.

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