Total and Cause-Specific Mortality of U.S. Nurses Working Rotating Night Shifts

Details

• Personal Author:
  Caporaso NE ; Gu F ; Han J ; Hankinson SE ; Kawachi I ; Laden F ; Pan A ; Rexrode KM ; Schernhammer ES ; Speizer FE ; Stampfer MJ ; Willett WC
• Description:
  Background: Rotating night shift work imposes circadian strain and is linked to the risk of several chronic diseases. Purpose: To examine associations between rotating night shift work and all-cause; cardiovascular disease (CVD); and cancer mortality in a prospective cohort study of 74,862 registered U.S. nurses from the Nurses' Health Study. Methods: Lifetime rotating night shift work (defined as >/=3 nights/month) information was collected in 1988. During 22 years (1988-2010) of follow-up, 14,181 deaths were documented, including 3,062 CVD and 5,413 cancer deaths. Cox proportional hazards models estimated multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. Results: All-cause and CVD mortality were significantly increased among women with =5 years of rotating night shift work, compared to women who never worked night shifts. Specifically, for women with 6-14 and >/=15 years of rotating night shift work, the HRs were 1.11 (95% CI=1.06, 1.17) and 1.11 (95% CI=1.05, 1.18) for all-cause mortality and 1.19 (95% CI=1.07, 1.33) and 1.23 (95% CI=1.09, 1.38) for CVD mortality. There was no significant association between rotating night shift work and all-cancer mortality (HR>/=15years=1.08, 95% CI=0.98, 1.19) or mortality of any individual cancer, with the exception of lung cancer (HR>/=15years=1.25, 95% CI=1.04, 1.51). Conclusions: Women working rotating night shifts for >=5 years have a modest increase in all-cause and CVD mortality; those working >=15 years of rotating night shift work have a modest increase in lung cancer mortality. These results add to prior evidence of a potentially detrimental effect of rotating night shift work on health and longevity. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiovascular System Circadian Rhythm Health Personnel Mortality Neoplasms Occupational Health Risk Assessment Safety Sex Characteristics Women

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• Keywords:
  Cancer Rates Cardiovascular Disease Circadian Rhythms Gender Factors Health Effects Mortality Rates Nurses Nursing Risk Analysis Shift Workers Work Schedules

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• ISSN:
  0749-3797
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Indiana ; Maryland ; Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  241-252
• Volume:
  48
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20053821
• Citation:
  Am J Prev Med 2015 Mar; 48(3):241-252
• Contact Point Address:
  Eva S. Schernhammer, MD, DrPH, Channing Division of Network Medicine, 181 Longwood Avenue, Boston MA 02115
• Email:
  eva.schernhammer@channing.harvard.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• NORA Priority Area:
  Healthcare and Social Assistance
• Performing Organization:
  Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20100801
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Preventive Medicine
• End Date:
  20190831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:bff4cdef891c5bd5b65fb55989013aef97315c06b745ffbc42be28b511a69390aa8efbde6c57b52c3776f7e7221dd5e25d06ff7cc7fbd132939c2bcac88b5578
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/216509/cdc_216509_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 119.66 KB ]