Shift Work Syndrome

Working night shift puts women at higher risk for diabetes

Previous studies have shown that working the night shift interrupts circadian rhythms and is associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome and glucose dysregulation, researchers said. This study, however, found that even after adjusting for BMI, the risk for type 2 diabetes was still modestly higher.

Researchers evaluated the association between night shift and diabetes within two large cohorts, the Nurses’ Health Study I and II. They followed more than 69,000 women aged 42 to 67 years from 1988 to 2008 in the Nurses’ Health Study I and more than 107,000 women aged 25 to 42 years from 1989 to 2007 in the Nurses’ Health Study II. Participants were questioned about how long they had worked rotating night shifts, which was defined as working at least three nights per month in addition to days and evenings in that month.

Overall, 6,165 and 3,961 incident type 2 diabetes cases were documented in the Nurses’ Health Study I and II, respectively. The duration of shift work was associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes in both cohorts, according to age-adjusted models ( P <.001). This association was attenuated when the researchers controlled for other covariates, excluding BMI. Further adjustment for BMI largely attenuated the association, the researchers said.

Compared with women who reported no shift work, the risk for type 2 diabetes based on years working the night shift were as follows:

Every 5-year increase of shift work was associated with an 11% increased risk for diabetes in the Nurses’ Health Study I and 17% in the Nurses’ Health Study II. This estimate was reduced to 5% and 4%, respectively, after the researchers adjusted for BMI.

“Our results suggest that women have a modestly increased risk of type 2 diabetes after extended-period shift work, and this association appears to be largely mediated through BMI,” the researchers concluded.

Ergonomics In The Workplace | Small Business Management

As the number of employees who work in an office environment increases, so do the number of common office injuries. This is because many offices do not have an ergonomically-correct facility for their workers. In recent years, having an ergonomically-correct work environment has become as important as pay scales and benefits packages. Employees want to know that the time they put in the office on a daily basis is not contributing to a decline in their health with onset of afflictions like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or Repetitive Stress Injury.

Many people are not aware of the very, very significant benefits of an ergonomically correct workplace environment. Ergonomics encompasses a variety of different workplace conditions, including:

- Workstation design - Machine Design

In the past, problems associated with Repetitive Stress Injury and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, were reported in large numbers. Since companies have received more information over the last decade about how to set up a more ergonomically-correct environment, the number of instances of RSI and CTS has decreased. However, the numbers are still much higher than they should be given the wealth of information available about ergonomics and the workplace. This is why training for companies about the benefits of being ergonomically correct is so important. The more information that individual companies have, the better they can serve their employees and assist them in staying well and producing better results.

There are a number of benefits to working in an ergonomically-correct environment. They include:

- Peaces of mind, knowing you are working in safe, healthy conditions - Lower instances of workers compensation claims due to repetitive stress injuries

Setting up an ergonomically correct workplace is not as hard as most would think. Taking small steps regularly can add up to big benefits in the end. Purchasing an ergonomically correct chair or keyboard can immediately help with some of the ailments people who work in an ergonomically-incorrect environment often experience.

Cost is often an issue, but you don’t have to spend too much at one time. For example, employers could begin by replacing one item at a time throughout the office. This would assist in bringing the office current on ergonomic regulations without having to spend a large chunk of money at once. The lack of funding is often the reason smaller offices cite when asked why their facility is not ergonomically correct. Making small improvements can take the monetary pressure off, while still allowing the employer to make ergonomic improvements.

Kaplan & Sadock's synopsis of psychiatry, behavioral sciences/clinical psychiatry

GABA and Sleep, Molecular, Functional and Clinical Aspects

The nurse's shift work handbook

Lexicon of psychiatry, neurology, and the neurosciences

Porth Pathophysiology, Concepts of Altered Health States