Menstrual characteristics and night work among nurses

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Reproductive Epidemiology
• Chronobiology

Background:

• Night work is linked to reproductive health issues.
• Menstruation and fertility may be negatively affected by night shifts.
• The relationship between night work, menstrual characteristics, and shift work disorder (SWD) requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between night work and menstrual characteristics.
• To examine the relationship between SWD and menstruation in female nurses.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional postal survey of 766 female nurses (under 50, non-pregnant, not using hormonal contraception, pre-menopausal).
• Data collected on night work, menstrual characteristics, and SWD classification.
• Logistic regression analysis used to assess associations.

Main Results:

• 15% of nurses reported irregular menstruations; 39% were classified with SWD.
• No significant associations were found between night work parameters and irregular menstruations.
• No associations were identified between night work and menstrual cycle length or bleeding duration.
• No link was observed between SWD and menstrual characteristics.

Conclusions:

• This study did not find evidence that night work or SWD negatively impacts menstrual characteristics in female nurses.
• Further research may be needed to explore potential subtle effects or different populations.