NIGHT SHIFT MAY HIT A WOMAN’S HEALTH HARD : BY ESHANI BHUMIK BARUI
With the retail
boom and exponential surge in online and e-commerce platforms, jobs in the
graveyard shift or night shift, as it is commonly known, have seen a seemingly
increasing trend in recent times. Though certain job roles, especially those pertaining to care giving (doctors and
nurses, emergency personnel, cab drivers), have always demanded working in
night shifts, the more recent demands of the 24-hour economy have led to this
sudden surge in the general job scenario.
As a result, there has been a
paradigm shift towards white-collar workers from IT, BPO and Retail sectors
working in graveyard shifts which was previously dominated by blue-collar
workers like factory employees and security personnel.
In addition to this,
socio-economic reforms encouraging gender equality, equal job opportunity and
equal pay have led to an increasing number of women getting involved as part of
the nocturnal workforce.
Research Findings:
A study published
in the American Journal of Preventive
Medicine, has revealed that while nurses working in graveyard shift for
6-14 years were at 19% higher risk of mortality due to cardiovascular diseases
(CVD), ones working for 15 years or more were at 23% higher risk of mortality due
to CVD and 25% higher risk of mortality due to lung cancer [1,2].
Another study conducted by the National
Surrey Sleep Research Centre (NSSRC), UK published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, concluded that women working in night shifts are indeed more
affected compared to men [3].
A finding published in the journal Sleep Medicine has reported that night
shift work increased the risk of breast cancer morbidity by: 1.9% for 5 years,
2.5% for 5-10 years, 7.4% for 10-20 years, and 8.8% for >20-years of night
shift work. Additionally, rotating night shift work enhanced the morbidity of
breast cancer by 8.9% [4]. Similarly, another research has linked
the higher incidence of rectal cancer risk in nurses working in night shifts [5].
Shift work has also been linked to menstrual cycle and pregnancy problems [6]
including miscarriages [7].
These findings
clearly prove that gender indeed has a prominent role to play in the context of
night shift work.
So, let us put our
thinking caps on to ponder and discover why.
Impact:
Night shifts
usually affect work-life balance due to social stress, work-family conflict,
psychological distress and most importantly, it impairs health-related quality
of life. Especially, it takes a toll on our health mainly due to the disruption
of our body’s circadian rhythm. To elaborate, the circadian rhythm is the
body’s internal 24-hr clock which controls various biological processes. It is
a natural cycle controlled by human brain which is influenced by light stimulus;
it basically connects the external environment with our body.
Additionally, our
daily activities like eating, sleeping, exercising also affect circadian
rhythm. So, it is extremely important to maintain a consistent, healthy
circadian rhythm for our overall health, well-being and prevention of certain
chronic diseases. [8]
For women,
circadian rhythm is strongly linked with the secretion of certain hormones like
melatonin, cortisol, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), prolactin (PRL) which
in turn are regulated by their menstrual cycle. This interaction bears a direct
correlation with the sleep cycle of women. Further to this, the menstrual cycle
is governed by the gonadotropic and sex steroid hormones. [9]
Abnormal circadian rhythms have been linked to hormonal imbalance in women.
Hormonal misalignment with the environmental light-dark cycle and/or sleep wake
cycle interrupts the reproductive pathways in women [6].
Additionally, women
also carry the social obligation of family and child care responsibilities [3].
Furthermore, night shift work come with its own set of lifestyle challenges
like increased smoking and alcohol consumption, improper diet and reduced
physical activity. A combination of all these factors cumulatively increase the
health risks of women resulting in various sleep disorders (difficulty in
falling asleep, excessive sleepiness during working hours), metabolic disorders
(diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension), mental disorders
(depression, cognitive deficits), gastrointestinal disorders (ulcers),
reproductive disorders and even cancers[10].
Take Control of the Situation:
While it’s always better to find out a regular shift job,
but it might not be readily available or your field of expertise might not
provide you with enough scope. So, it is always better to try and modify the
present situation to suit yourself.
- Choose the Right
Diet: - It is advisable for night shift workers to choose a light nutritious
meal and restrict intake of high calorie foods during midnight to 6 AM. It
would be easier on the body’s digestive system.
During daytime, be conscious to have a healthy balanced meal. It is best
to avoid caffeine and products with concentrated sugar like carbonated
beverages. Instead of coffee, choose green tea or any suitable herbal drink as
your mid-night refresher.
- Make Healthy
Lifestyle Choices: - Refrain from substance abuse like tobacco, gutka and alcohol.
- Establish a Proper
Sleep Cycle during Day: - It is extremely important to establish a proper sleep
cycle during the day time to realign the circadian rhythm. Scheduled naps
before night shift work can have an alerting effect.
- Include Daily
Physical Activity: One must indulge in some kind of physical activity like
brisk walking, swimming, strength training as per their convenience everyday
for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. During work breaks as well, one can do some
light exercises sitting at their workstation. Another good way of workplace
exercise is choosing stairs over elevator.
Women are the
backbone of families. So first, they must ensure a good health for their own –
and then, the glow of healthy and beautiful life will automatically reflect
upon the family.
By - Eshani Bhaumik Barui
Food Technologist and Dietitian,
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