STRESS AND MONOTONY AS FACTORS OF LOCOMOTIVE CREWS’ SHIFT WORK

Author(s):  
A.A. Zakrevskaya ◽  

Abstract: The article presents the results of a psychophysiological examination of drivers of passenger and export traffic, working in the day and night shifts, respectively. The dynamics of performing psychophysiological tests (changes in the reaction rate, the number of errors, perception of time intervals, etc.) after day and night shifts was revealed, and differences in the subjective perception of the specifics of work in the daytime and at night were also noted. Working the night shift requires the driver to mobilize psychophysiological resources aimed at maintaining active wakefulness and fighting monotony. Day trips are perceived to be more stressful due to more input and traffic. Target: The study of the functional state dynamics of train drivers working without an assistant during day and night trips with an increase in the duration of working hours up to 8 hours in passenger traffic and up to 12 - in export traffic. Methods: 1. Express test of the functional state; 2. «Sense of time» test; 3. Stress resistance test; 4. Survey «Well-being. Activity, mood (SAN)»; 5. Survey «Diagnostics of states of reduced performance (DORS)». Results: The dynamics of the speed and stability of the visual-motor reaction, the accuracy of the perception of time intervals, as well as the subjective perception of the features of day and night shifts by train drivers themselves, makes it possible to distinguish differences in the specifics of shift work: in the daytime it is distinguished by greater intensity, tension, which is reflected in the number of erroneous actions during testing after a day's ride on the simulator, and in the subjective experience of stress noted by the drivers. The need to work at night requires considerable efforts from train drivers to mobilize, which is manifested during a psychophysiological examination before the night shift, however, forced wakefulness during night work leads to a state of monotony among train drivers.

1976 ◽  
Vol 20 (22) ◽  
pp. 510-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torbjörn Akerstedt

320 3-shift workers, 30 2-shift workers and 30 day workers filled out a questionnaire on work hours and well-being. For 3-shift workers highest ratings of well-being were reported for the afternoon shift, followed by morning, and night shifts. Two-shift workers gave ratings identical to those of the 3-shift workers on corresponding shifts. Multivariate analysis showed that neuroticism, mental demands on the job and, to some extent, also housing standards accounted for variance in well-being on the night shift. When sleep length was used as the dependent variable the most important predictors were age and experience of shift work. Finally, it was found that, above the age of 45, well-being on the night shift decreased with increased experience of shift work. In younger age groups no relations of this kind were found. (Age was held constant in all analyses.) It was suggested that the relations found may indicate the existence of a process of accumulation of costs of adjustment starting around the age of 45.


Kardiologiia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (9) ◽  
pp. 62-67
Author(s):  
Yu. A. Merkulov ◽  
A. A. Pyatkov ◽  
S. G. Gorokhova ◽  
D. M. Merkulova ◽  
O. Yu. Atkov

Aim        To study temporal and spectral characteristics of heart rhythm variability (HRV) in night shift workers.Materials and methods       Along with traditional risk factors, conditions of labor contribute to development of cardiovascular morbidity, including night shift work, which can be associated with disorders of the autonomic regulation detected by analysis of HRV. This study included 100 healthy men. 74 of them were engaged in shift work, including 53 men with rotating shift work, 21 men with fixed night shifts, and 26 men with day-time work. HRV was analyzed by data of 5-min electrocardiogram recording (background recording and orthostatic test).Results   Night-shift workers had decreases in total power of regulation (ТР, SDNN) and in the parasympathetic branch (HF, pNN50). Rotating night-shift workers displayed significant decreases in SDNN and pNN50 and pronounced changes in the VLF / LF / HF ratio in the orthostatic test.Conclusion            In work with night shifts, the type of autonomic regulation differs from the “standard” functioning of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). This study showed different effects of night work regimens on HRV indexes. With the rotating shift work, the ANS dysregulation was more profound and was evident by a significant decrease in the ANS total tone and parasympathetic activity (SDNN, pNN50) compared to night shifts with fixed working hours. The excessive weakening of the parasympathetic component in the passive orthostatic test can be considered as an early marker for ANS maladaptation. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Chellappa ◽  
Christopher J. Morris ◽  
Frank A. J. L. Scheer

Abstract Night shift work can associate with an increased risk for depression. As night workers experience a ‘misalignment’ between their circadian system and daily sleep–wake behaviors, with negative health consequences, we investigated whether exposure to circadian misalignment underpins mood vulnerability in simulated shift work. We performed randomized within-subject crossover laboratory studies in non-shift workers and shift workers. Simulated night shifts were used to induce a misalignment between the endogenous circadian pacemaker and sleep/wake cycles (circadian misalignment), while environmental conditions and food intake were controlled. Circadian misalignment adversely impacted emotional state, such that mood and well-being levels were significantly decreased throughout 4 days of continuous exposure to circadian misalignment in non-shift workers, as compared to when they were under circadian alignment (interaction of “circadian alignment condition” vs. “day”, mood: p < 0.001; well-being: p < 0.001; adjusted p-values). Similarly, in shift workers, mood and well-being levels were significantly reduced throughout days of misalignment, as compared to circadian alignment (interaction of “circadian alignment condition” vs. “day”, mood: p = 0.002; well-being: p = 0.002; adjusted p-values). Our findings indicate that circadian misalignment is an important biological component for mood vulnerability, and that individuals who engage in shift work are susceptible to its deleterious mood effects.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengkui Zhang ◽  
Yongbin Wang ◽  
Zhende Wang ◽  
Han Wang ◽  
Chao Xue ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The misalignment between the circadian clock and behavioral cycles has been implicated in pathogenesis of many diseases. However, whether the kidneys are also more prone to disease in the circumstances of chronic circadian rhythms disruption due to night shift work and light at night (LAN) is unclear. The main purpose of this study is to examine the association between rotating night shift work, exposure to light at night, and glomerular filtration rate among steelworkers in north China. Methods A total of 6869 participants, aged 22 to 60 years, were included in this study. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between night shift work, the brightness of bedroom ambient light at night (LAN), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with adjustment for potential confounders. The relationship between duration of night shift work (continuous), cumulative number of night shifts (continuous), and eGFR were also examined using restricted cubic spline models. Results Long duration of night shift work (≥29 years) had elevated odds of decreased eGFR (OR, 1.39, 95% CI 1.10–1.75) compared with day work after adjustment for potential confounders. Negative associations between duration of night shift work, cumulative number of night shifts, and eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m 2 ) were observed in RCS models. No significant associations were observed among the different brightness of bedroom ambient light levels: middle level (OR, 0.90, 95% CI 0.77–1.05), lightest level (OR, 0.94, 95% CI 0.75–1.17), and decreased eGFR compared with the darkest level. Conclusion The increased duration of night shift work and cumulative number of night shifts among night shift workers, but not the brightness of bedroom ambient LAN, are associated with a slight decline of renal function among steelworkers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 10896
Author(s):  
Johannes Zauner ◽  
Herbert Plischke

Chronodisruption deteriorates the health and wellbeing of shift workers. Artificial light at night and the lack of light during the day are major contributors to chronodisruption and need to be optimized in shift work scenarios. Here, we present one solution for a lighting and automation system in an industrial production workplace. The setting is a rapidly rotating shift work environment with morning, evening, and night shifts. We describe a procedure to specify the new lighting through a software-agnostic nonvisual lighting simulation for artificial and daylighting scenarios. Through this process, a new luminaire is created, called Drosa, that allows for a large melanopic stimulus range between 412 and 73 lx melanopic equivalent daylight (D65) illuminance vertically at eye level, while maintaining a neutral white illuminance at task level between 1250 and 900 lx, respectively. This is possible through a combination of glare-free spotlights with adjustable areal wing lights. An individually programmed automation system controls the light dosage and timing during the day and night. The work is relevant for other shift work scenarios, where the presented example and the discussed rationale behind the automation might provide insights. The work is further relevant for other lighting scenarios beyond industrial shift work, as the nonvisual lighting simulation process can be adapted to any context.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeinab Samhat ◽  
Randa Attieh ◽  
Yonna Sacre

Abstract Background: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the relationships between night shift work, eating habits and body mass index (BMI) among Lebanese nurses. Methods: A total of 307 nurses were randomly selected from five hospitals located in Beirut. Data about demographic and professional characteristics, anthropometric measures, dietary habits and intakes were collected through a validated questionnaire. To study the relationship between night shift work, eating habits and BMI, chi-square test, t-test and logistic regressions were used.Results: The majority of nurses (78. 2%) had irregular meals timing with a significant decrease in the number of complete meals consumed during the day and an increase in the number of snacks consumed during night (p<0. 05). The most consumed snacks during night shifts were sweets and potato chips. The findings highlighted that BMI and waist circumference significantly increased with the number of years of work (r=0.175; p<0.05) and the cumulative number of night shifts hours over the entire work history (r=0.135/p< 0. 05). Conclusion: Night shift work is positively associated with abnormal eating patterns and BMI among Lebanese nurses. However the increase in BMI is not related to eating habits.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Pavanello ◽  
Mariarita Stendardo ◽  
Giuseppe Mastrangelo ◽  
Valeria Casillo ◽  
Marco Nardini ◽  
...  

Sleep deprivation and the consequent circadian clock disruption has become an emergent health question being associated with premature aging and earlier chronic diseases onset. Night-shift work leads to circadian clock misalignment, which is linked to several age-related diseases. However, mechanisms of this association are not well understood. Aim of this study is to explore in night-shift workers early indicators of oxidative stress response and biological aging [oxidized/methylated DNA bases and leukocytes telomere length (LTL)] and late indicators of functional aging [lung function measurements (FEV1 and FVC)] in relation to personal evaluation of work capacity, measured by work ability index (WAI). One hundred fifty-five hospital workers were studied within the framework of a cross-sectional study. We collected physiological, pathological, and occupational history including pack-years, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and night shifts, together with blood and urine samples. Relationships were appraised by univariate and multivariate ordered-logistic regression models. We found that workers with good and excellent WAI present higher FEV1 (p< 0.01) and number of night-work shifts (p<0.05), but they reveal higher urinary levels of 8-oxoGua (p<0.01) and shorter LTL (p<0.05). We confirmed that higher work ability was prevalent among chronological younger workers (p<0.05), who have also a significant reduced number of diseases, particularly chronic (p<0.01) and musculoskeletal diseases (p<0.01). The new findings which stem from our work are that subjects with the highest work ability perception may have more demanding and burdensome tasks; they in fact present the highest number of night-shift work and produce unbalanced oxidative stress response that might induce premature aging.


2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1556-1556
Author(s):  
Pedram Razavi ◽  
Eva S Schernhammer ◽  

1556 Background: Light at night as in shift work suppresses nocturnal secretion of melatonin, a pineal hormone with oncostatic properties. Several studies have associated night shift work with higher risk of cancer, leading WHO in 2007 to classify rotating night shift work as “probably carcinogenic”. We conducted one of the most comprehensive studies, to date, to evaluate the effects of light and night shift work on melatonin measurements in the field. Methods: Study participants were 130 active nurses (84 current rotating night shift workers and 46 day shift workers) participating in NHS2. Each nurse wore a head-mounted light- and accelerometer for a 3-day study period, during which each spontaneous urine was collected for repeated urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (melatonin) measurements. In addition, nurses were asked to fill out paper questionnaires and diaries. We used mixed models to evaluate the influence of light, activity and night shift work on urinary melatonin level adjusting, for age, lifestyle, and occupational history. We log-transformed main variables and report geometric means (GM [standard deviation]). Results: Greater levels of light were associated with lower melatonin (P < 0.0001), independent of activity level. An increase in light intensity from 10 to 100 lux was associated with a 12% decrease in geometric mean of melatonin level; however, this inverse association was only significant at night (Ptrend = 0.01). At night, each hour increase in exposure to ≥ 20 lux light lowered melatonin level by 5.7% (Ptrend < 0.0001). A single night shift affected the circadian system by lowering melatonin peak by 22% (day shift: GM = 17.57 [2.73]; night shift: GM = 13.64 [2.54]) and induced a phase shift (PS) of 0.9 hours, -changes that reset to normal by the next day. Two consecutive night shifts had a similar effect as a single shift. However, the effect was worse after three consecutive night shifts (GM = 10.11 [2.77]; PS = 2.2 hours). Conclusions: We found significant inverse associations of intensity and duration of exposure to light at night with urinary melatonin, independent of activity level. Three consecutive night shifts affected the circadian system more strongly than two consecutive, or a single night shift.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliane Hannemann ◽  
Anika Laing ◽  
Benita Middleton ◽  
Jonathan Cridland ◽  
Bart Staels ◽  
...  

Introduction: Night shift work is associated with high rates of hypertension, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome. These cardiometabolic diseases have been linked to the disruption of circadian rhythms in night shift workers. Rotating night shift work is increasingly common in the working population worldwide. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that light therapy might help to normalize disrupted circadian rhythms and stabilize diurnal control of blood pressure and glucose tolerance in rotating night shift workers. Methods: We randomized 24 rotating night shift workers (mean age, 36±13 years, 7 males) who had spent a median of 6 years on rotating night shifts with a median of 6 night shifts/month to 12 weeks of light therapy (light during first half of each night shift and in the morning of off-work days) or no intervention and compared them with 12 daytime workers (37±11 years, 6 males). We measured oral glucose tolerance (OGTT), 24h blood pressure and arterial stiffness, and the circadian profiles of melatonin, cortisol, metanephrine and normetanephrine at baseline, after 12 weeks of intervention, and 12 weeks after the end of intervention. Results: At baseline, fewer night shift workers showed dipper status of blood pressure as compared to daytime workers (21% vs. 55%; p<0.001). After 12 weeks of light therapy, there was a highly significant increase in the proportion of dippers (to 42%; p<0.0001). We also observed a significant decrease in serum glucose during OGTT in the light therapy group (-22%; p<0.05), with no change in serum insulin. Whilst circadian profiles of melatonin and cortisol were unchanged, there was a significant reduction in nighttime plasma metanephrine and normetanephrine levels in the light therapy group (p<0.01). Conclusions: Chronotherapeutic light therapy significantly improves diurnal blood pressure control and glucose tolerance in rotating night shift workers. This effect is unrelated to mechanisms traditionally linked to the circadian clock like melatonin and cortisol, but it is paralleled by reduced catecholamine levels. Our data suggest that chronotherapeutic light therapy may improve the adjustment to atypical working hours in rotating night shift workers, thereby reducing stress and improving cardiometabolic function.


Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Daniel Patterson ◽  
Leonard S. Weiss ◽  
Matthew D. Weaver ◽  
David D. Salcido ◽  
Samantha E. Opitz ◽  
...  

Abstract Background There is an emerging body of evidence that links exposure to shift work to cardiovascular disease (CVD). The risk of coronary events, such as myocardial infarction, is greater among night shift workers compared to day workers. There is reason to believe that repeated exposure to shift work, especially night shift work, creates alterations in normal circadian patterns of blood pressure (BP) and heart rate variability (HRV) and that these alterations contribute to increased risk of CVD. Recent data suggest that allowing shift workers to nap during night shifts may help to normalize BP and HRV patterns and, over time, reduce the risk of CVD. The risk of CVD related to shift work is elevated for emergency medical services (EMS) shift workers due in part to long-duration shifts, frequent use of night shifts, and a high prevalence of multiple jobs. Methods We will use a randomized crossover trial study design with three study conditions. The targeted population is comprised of EMS clinician shift workers, and our goal enrollment is 35 total participants with an estimated 10 of the 35 enrolled not completing the study protocol or classified as lost to attrition. All three conditions will involve continuous monitoring over 72 h and will begin with a 36-h at-home period, followed by 24 total hours in the lab (including a 12-h simulated night shift), ending with 12 h at home. The key difference between the three conditions is the intra-shift nap. Condition 1 will involve a simulated 12-h night shift with total sleep deprivation. Condition 2 will involve a simulated 12-h night shift and a 30-min nap opportunity. Condition 3 will involve a simulated 12-h night shift with a 2-h nap opportunity. Our primary outcomes of interest include blunted BP dipping and reduced HRV as measured by the standard deviation of the inter-beat intervals of normal sinus beats. Non-dipping status will be defined as sleep hours BP dip of less than 10%. Discussion Our study will address two indicators of cardiovascular health and determine if shorter or longer duration naps during night shifts have a clinically meaningful impact. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04469803. Registered on 9 July 2020


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