Abstract
This study explores whether morning-typed persons are aware that they are maladapted for shift-work. An integrated questionnaire was administrated to 637 students aged 18-35 yrs attending university or physical therapy training school in May, June and October, 2012. A total of 617 participants (97%) answered the questionnaire that included questions on sleep habits such as bedtime, the diurnal type scale by Torsvall and Akerstedt (1980), questions on mental health (irritation, anger, feeling out of control, depression) and meals content and timing, and questions on experience with and attitude towards shift work, including the question, “Would you be able to mentally and physically withstand doing shift work for one year, if given the chance?” Participants that answered “Absolutely never” to this question (DIFFICULT Group) showed significantly higher scores on the diurnal-type scale (more morning-typed) (p=0.005) and subjectively evaluated themselves as “more morning-typed persons” (p<0.001) than those that chose other answers (EASIER Group). The DIFFICULT Group showed significantly earlier bedtimes (p=0.017) and earlier sleep onset times (p=0.016), and tended to show earlier wake-up times (p=0.119) than the EASIER Group. The DIFFICULT Group had breakfast (p<0.001) and dinner (p=0.047) at more regular times than the EASIER Group and had nutritionally well balanced breakfast with higher frequency than the EASIER Group (p=0.023). These results may support the hypothesis that persons with a negative attitude to rotating shift work are more morning-typed than those without such a negative attitude towards shift work.
Highlights
The work schedules for most people are at fixed timed of the day, mostly in the daytime
Shift workers work a rotated schedule consisting of daytime, evening and midnight shifts, for example (Inoue & Hayashi, 2012)
Long-term shift work has been associated with a higher risk of some types of cancers, such as breast cancer, in comparison to day time workers (Davis et al, 2001; Schernhammer et al, 2001; Haous & Smolensky, 2012)
Summary
The work schedules for most people are at fixed timed of the day, mostly in the daytime. Serious disturbance of the circadian phase mainly due to complex light exposure can induce de-synchronization of the two circadian oscillators in the course of the phase shifting This de-synchronization worsens the mental health of the shift-workers including a high risk of acquiring affective disorders. From a theoretical point of view, morning-type persons may experience several more difficulties in health maintenance than evening-type persons, because the phase of circadian rhythms with a high amplitude is harder to be shift than the phase with a low amplitude that is exhibited by evening-type persons This hypothesis on the relationship between shift work performance and circadian typology has not yet been tested. This study explores whether morning-typed persons are aware that they are maladapted to shift work, and is the first step to understanding the relationship between circadian typology and adaptability to shift work
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
