Shift work and your health
Photo by Matthew Lister
Is it true that shift work, especially night shifts, are a risk to health?
Not getting enough sleep, being exposed to light at night, not doing exercise, not getting enough Vitamin D and upsets to our body rhythms and sleeping patterns are some of the risks of shift work.
FIFO workers are amongst those who frequently do shift work and many do periods of long night shifts.
Being physically active, maintaining a healthy diet and getting sufficient sleep will help you stay healthy during shift work.
For women working FIFO a study by the University of WA (the first of its kind in the world) will be of interest. It has shown that women who had a job that involved shift work did NOT have a higher risk of breast cancer than women who never did shift work.
However other studies have identified some impacts.
Summary of health effects of shift work:
- Reduction in quality and quantity of sleep
- Widespread complaints of “fatigue”
- Anxiety, depression, and increased neuroticism
- Increasing evidence of adverse cardiovascular effects
- Possible increase in gastrointestinal disorder
- Increased risk of spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, and premature birth
Source
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