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Boggild And Knutsson (1999) Show That Shift Workers Have A 40% Higher ...

Boggild and Knutsson (1999) show that shift workers have a 40% higher cardiovascular disease risk than those who do not work shifts. This risk is related to circadian rhythms, disturbed sociotemporal patterns, social support, stress, lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, diet, alcohol and exercise, and biochemical changes such as increased levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (Nakamura et al, 1997; Boggild and Knutsson, 1999; Knutsson, 2003).

A study by Kawachi et al (1995) found that there was an association with the possibility that 6 or more years of shift work may increase the risk of CHD in women. Furlan et al (2000) found that continuous weekly changes of time of maximum and minimum in the cardiac sympathetic and vagal autonomic control may play a role in the excessive rate of cardiovascular diseases in shift workers. They also found that reduced values of the indexes of cardiac sympathetic modulation during night work might be related to the presence of sleepiness or diminished alertness, which in turn could facilitate errors and accidents (Furlan et al, 2000). Harrington (1999) highlights the link between shiftwork and gastrointestinal disease, a finding also supported by Knutsson (2003).

Schernhammer et al (2003) show that exposure to light at night has a suppressive effect on melatonin in the human body, a hormone which is has an antiproliferative effect on cancer cells. In their study, Schernhammer et al (2003) found an increased incidence of colorectal cancer amongst female nurses who worked rotating night shifts, especially in those who had done so for 15 years or more. There is some relevance here for flight crew, given the high percentage of female flight attendants in the airline industry.

Conversely, Zeeb et al (2003) show recent decreases in mortality rates among cabin crew. An exception to this is a high mortality among cabin crew due to AIDS and AIDS-associated cancers (Zeeb et al, 2003). This increase may have something to do with the lifestyles of cabin crew and may relate either to a number of other factors, perhaps related to the kinds of people attracted to the career and/or the kind of lifestyle supported by their working patterns. Whatever the reasons and concomitant factors, there can be no doubt that there are serious health implications associated with non-standard working hours.
Shift working patters have also been related to interferences with work performance and efficiency over the 24 hour span, with associated errors and accidents (Costa, 1996).

According to Harrington (1999), there is evidence of poorer work performance and increased accidents, particularly on the night shifts. This is of particular significance for shift workers who are in more dangerous or demanding professions where the health, safety and wellbeing of others may be affected by their competence and skill.


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