0246 Current shift work and frailty: findings from the UK Biobank

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Shift work may disrupt sleep and circadian rhythms, leading to adverse health outcomes. The objective of this study is to examine whether performing shift work is associated with frailty in middle- to older-aged adults. Methods We examined current shift work exposure and frailty risk in 242,126 UK Biobank participants (38-71 years old; 128,595 females). Using the baseline self-reported employment information, participants were categorized as shift workers (with ‘work schedule that falls outside of the normal daytime working hours of 9am-5pm’) or day workers if no shift work schedule. Based on a previously validated approach, frailty phenotype was identified when three or more of the following five criteria were fulfilled: self-reported weight loss, exhaustion, low physical activity, slow walking pace, and measured low grip strength. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the association between shift work and frailty. Results Among 242,126 participants, 201,489 (83.2%) were day workers and 40,637 (16.8%) shift workers. Frailty was identified in 4,308 participants (1.8%), including 3,312 day workers (1.6%) and 996 shift workers (2.5%). Compared with day workers, shift workers were at higher risk for frailty after adjusting age, sex, and ethnicity, i.e., odds ratio (OR) =1.58 [95% CI, 1.47-1.70] (p < 0.0001). The effect of shift work appeared to be more pronounced in 5,659 permanent night shift workers (OR = 1.98 [95% CI, 1.68-2.32], p < 0.0001). The differences between day workers and shift workers persisted even after further adjusting for social economic status, sleep duration, and chronotype (OR = 1.38 [95% CI, 1.28-1.48] for all shift workers; OR = 1.53 [95% CI, 1.30-1.80] for permanent night shift workers, both p values < 0.0001). Conclusion Middle- to older-aged adults who were currently performing shift work, especially those permanent night shift workers, were more likely to be frail. Longitudinal and interventional studies are warranted to elucidate the causal relationship between shift work and the risk of frailty. Support (if any) BrightFocus Foundation (A2020886S), NIH (RF1AG059867, RF1AG064312)