Night shift work at specific age ranges and chronic disease risk factors

Sep 28, 2014Occupational and environmental medicine

How Night Shift Work at Different Ages Relates to Long-Term Health Risks

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Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Ever night shift workers had an increased odds of obesity (OR=1.37) compared to never night shift workers.

Increased odds of higher caffeine intake (OR=1.16) were observed in ever night shift workers.
Total calorie intake was also higher among night shift workers (OR=1.09).
Current smoking rates were elevated in those who worked night shifts (OR=1.30).
Shorter sleep durations were associated with night shift work (OR=1.19).
Risk factors varied by the age at which night shift work was performed, with less risk noted for work done before age 25.

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OBJECTIVES: We examined the association of night shift work history and age when night shift work was performed with cancer and cardiovascular disease risk factors among 54 724 women in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) II.

METHODS: We calculated age-adjusted and socioeconomic status-adjusted means and percentages for cancer and cardiovascular risk factors in 2009 across categories of night shift work history. We used multivariable-adjusted logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for key risk factors among 54 724 participants (72% ever shift workers). We further examined these associations by age (20-25, 26-35, 36-45 and 46+ years) at which shift work was performed.

RESULTS: Ever night shift workers had increased odds of obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m(2); OR=1.37, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.43); higher caffeine intake (≥131 mg/day; OR=1.16, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.22) and total calorie intake (≥1715 kcal/day; OR=1.09, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.13); current smoking (OR=1.30, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.42); and shorter sleep durations (≤7 h of sleep/day; OR=1.19, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.24) compared to never night shift workers. These estimates varied depending on age at which night work was performed, with a suggestion that night shift work before age 25 was associated with fewer risk factors compared to night shift work at older ages.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that night shift work may contribute to an adverse chronic disease risk profile, and that risk factors may vary depending on the age at which night shift work was performed.

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Night shift work at specific age ranges and chronic disease risk factors

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