Abstract
This systematic review aims to summarize the available evidence to elucidate the effects of shift work, which includes night work, on body weight change. A systematic search strategy using longitudinal studies was performed. Articles were included based on strict inclusion criteria; methodological quality was assessed by a standardized quality checklist. The results were summarized using a levels of evidence synthesis. The search strategy resulted in eight articles that met the inclusion criteria. Five of them were considered to be high- and three of them low-quality studies. Seven studies presented crude results for an association between shift work exposure and change in body weight: five high- and two low-quality studies. There was strong evidence for a crude relationship between shift work and body weight increase. Five studies presented weight-related outcomes adjusted for potentially relevant confounders (age, gender, bodyweight at baseline, and physical activity). Two studies found a significant difference between groups in the same direction. Consequently, the evidence for a confounders-adjusted relationship between shift work exposure and body weight was considered to be insufficient. Strong evidence for a crude association between shift work exposure and body weight increase was found. In order to further clarify the underlying mechanisms, more and better high quality studies about this subject are necessary.
Highlights
Due to the 24/7 economy, the number of jobs including shift work and irregular working hours has increased substantially during the last decades
Provided data by the first author, %body mass index (BMI) change after one year from baseline: shift ΔBMI 0,56% (0,44% - 0,69%) 95% confidence intervals (CI) day ΔBMI 0,31% (0,21% - 0,42%) 95% CI P=0.004
Provided data by the first author, %BMI change after one year from baseline: shift ΔBMI 0,63% (0,44% - 0,82%) 95% CI day ΔBMI 0,40% (CI 0,24% - 0,56%) 95% CI P=0.002
Summary
Due to the 24/7 economy, the number of jobs including shift work and irregular working hours has increased substantially during the last decades. Up to an estimated 20% of the European workers are thought to be exposed to shift work schedules that include time spent working at night (1). A large amount of research has been published concerning the health effects of shift work. This research shows that, the pathways are unclear, shift schedules including nightly hours are probably related to gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases (1,5-9). This kind of work is thought to be associated with an increased risk for several types of cancer (10-13)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 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 callMore From: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health
Disclaimer: 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.
