Abstract
Introduction: Epidemiological observations indicate that stewardesses are exposed to reproductive and endocrine system disturbances. The aim of the study was to assess of thyroid function disturbances as well as to identify factors affecting the thyroid function among stewardesses working both within one time zone and on long-distance flights. Material and methods: The cross-sectional study covered 103 women aged 23–46. The study group (I) was divided into two subgroups: group Ia comprising stewardesses flying within one flight zone and group Ib stewardesses working on long-distance flights. The control group (II) were women of reproductive age who sought medical assistance due to marital infertility in whom the male factor was found to be responsible for problems with conception in the course of the diagnostic process. The assessment included: age, BMI, menstrual cycle regularity, length of work, frequency of flying, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration, level of free thyroxine (fT4), antibodies to thyroglobulin (aTG) and to thyroperoxidase (aTPO), prolactin concentration, sex hormone binding globulin (SHGB) concentration, total cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein (LDL) fraction. Descriptive methods and inferential statistics methods were used to compile the data. Results: The difference between the concentrations of TSH in the study group (2.59 mcIU/mL) and the control group (1.52 mcIU/mL) was statistically significant (p < 0.01). An elevated titer of thyroid antibodies (aTPO and/or aTG) was revealed in 46.3% of stewardesses and in 15.1% of patients from the control group (p < 0.001). Groups Ia and Ib in individual concentrations were not statistically significant. The frequency of occurrence of an elevated titer of thyroid antibodies depended on the length of work in the study group (p > 0.05). No statistically significant difference was found in patients spending up to 60 h a month flying and in patients spending more than 60 h flying, the percentage of the occurrence of thyroid antibodies was 50% and 43.5, respectively. Conclusions: The occurrence in stewardesses of a higher TSH concentration than in the control group can signify that stewardesses are burdened with a higher risk of the development of hypothyroidism in the future. The character of the work of stewardesses (frequency of flying as well as length of work) does not affect the immunological profile of the thyroid.
Highlights
Epidemiological observations indicate that stewardesses are exposed to reproductive and endocrine system disturbances
Code (Art. 151), the night shift is defined as the time covering 8 h between 21:00 and 07:00 while a worker whose work schedule involves every day at least 3 h of work during the night hours or whose at least 14 of the working time in the settlement period falls to night shift hours is a night shift worker [2]
Control group (II)—60 women of reproductive age who sought medical assistance due to marital infertility in whom the male factor was found to be responsible for problems with conception in the course of the diagnostic process; Study group (I)—43 female flight attendants; Group Ia—17 female flight attendants flying within one time zone; Group Ib—26 female flight attendants working on long-distance flights
Summary
Epidemiological observations indicate that stewardesses are exposed to reproductive and endocrine system disturbances. The aim of the study was to assess of thyroid function disturbances as well as to identify factors affecting the thyroid function among stewardesses working both within one time zone and on long-distance flights. The assessment included: age, BMI, menstrual cycle regularity, length of work, frequency of flying, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). According to the Main Statistical Office, in Poland, night shift work is performed by 417,700 women, including flight attendants [3]. Epidemiological studies reveal that shift work can cause, among others, diseases of the cardiovascular system, sleep disturbances, and breast cancer in women [4,5]. The negative influence of night shift work on health is linked mainly to the disturbance of the circadian rhythm disrupting, among others, the secretion of prolactin, cortisol, or the growth hormone [6,7]. The level of the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) changes with the circadian
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