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Shiftwork, Age, and Health: An Epidemiologic Investigation
1Association d'Hygiène Industrielle et de Médecine du Travail, 2, rue Linné, 44100 Nantes, France.
Summary
Shiftwork and age interact to negatively impact health, increasing risks for sleep disorders and other issues. Regular night shifts are better tolerated than rotating ones, with cumulative effects posing greater risks.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Epidemiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Shiftwork is prevalent and associated with various health concerns.
- Aging further modifies the impact of occupational exposures on health.
- Understanding these interactions is crucial for worker well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the combined effects of age and shiftwork on health.
- To identify specific health outcomes affected by this interaction.
- To compare the tolerability of different shiftwork schedules.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a large French epidemiologic study (21,378 subjects).
- Assessment of health problems as a function of age and shiftwork.
- Inclusion of sleep disorders, psychological well-being, and physical health indicators.
Main Results:
- Shiftwork and age had additive effects on sleep disorders, energy levels, social isolation, emotional disorders, sick leave, overweight, and neuropsychiatric drug use.
- No association was found between work schedules and hypertension.
- Regular night work was better tolerated than rotating night shifts.
- A cumulative effect of age and shiftwork increased the risk of intolerance to work schedules.
Conclusions:
- Age and shiftwork synergistically impact worker health.
- Specific shiftwork schedules have differential health consequences.
- A threshold exists beyond which combined age and shiftwork become intolerable.