[Shift work as a factor increasing the risk of civilization diseases - what's new in the old issue?]

Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2019 Oct 29;47(280):157-161.
[Article in Polish]

Abstract

People are more and more often taking up shift work, which in the long run may have harmful health effects. Whether a person working in a shift system gets sick is influenced by many external factors (rotation and type of changes and work performed, socio-psychological factors) and endogenous (sex, age, health and physiological status, individual, internal biological clock - chronotype, physiological tolerance work at night). Many authors in their work prove that work in a rotational rotation system affects the occurrence of various types of cancer, hormone production, occurrence of metabolic disorders and civilization diseases (type II diabetes, insulin resistance, overweight and obesity, hypertension and coronary heart disease), microflora differentiation intestinal and contributes to increased stress of the body. In addition, the time in which a person works has a direct impact on the consumption and quality of meals. Shift workers often do not have time to eat regular, properly balanced meals that would satisfy their energy and nutritional needs. For this reason, most often reach for ready-to-eat foods that are characterized by low nutritional value at a relatively high energy value. Shift work also carries a risk of circadian rhythm disturbances and sleep disorders. Many studies indicate that there is an increased risk of some types of cancer and civilization diseases, but there is no clear evidence as to whether this is only the fault of rotary night work.

Keywords: civilization diseases; health; shift work.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Circadian Rhythm
  • Civilization
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2*
  • Humans
  • Noncommunicable Diseases* / epidemiology
  • Obesity
  • Work Schedule Tolerance*