Shift work and the risk for metabolic syndrome among healthcare workers: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

Summary Shift work, defined as work occurring outside typical daytime working hours, is associated with an increased risk for metabolic syndrome (MetS) due to several biological and environmental changes. The MetS refers to the clustering of several known cardiovascular risk factors, including insulin resistance, obesity, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. This systematic review aims to evaluate the literature on the association between shift work and the risk of MetS in employees of the health sector. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases using appropriate keywords for studies published before September 1, 2021. Eligible studies were those that compared the prevalence of MetS between day and shift healthcare workers; had a cross‐sectional, case–control, or cohort study design; provided sufficient data for calculating odds ratios or relative risks with 95% confidence intervals; and articles in English. The Joanna Briggs Institute prevalence critical appraisal tool was used for quality analysis. Risk for MetS and related measures of effect size were retrieved from studies for meta‐analysis. Twelve studies met the criteria for inclusion in the review and meta‐analysis. Sample sizes ranged from 42 to 738, and the age range of subjects was between 18 and 65 years. Ten studies demonstrated high methodological quality, while two studies were of average quality. Ten out of 12 studies in the review demonstrated a higher risk in shift workers for developing MetS than day workers. The pooled OR of MetS in shift workers based on 12 studies was 2.17 (95% CI = 1.31–3.60, P = 0.003; I2 = 82%, P < 0.001). Shift workers exhibited more than a twofold increase in the chance of developing MetS in comparison with day workers.

Shiftwork and the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome Among Health Care Workers

“…Anthropometric measurements such as weight, height, and waist and hip circumference were measured using standard equipment. Details of anthropometric measurements are described elsewhere 16 . The blood pressure was measured on two occasions while seated following at least a 10-minute rest using a digital blood pressure monitor (Omron Healthcare, Singapore).…”

“…A cross-sectional study was conducted among health care workers in Nawaloka Hospital, Colombo, Sri Lanka, between July and August 2021. The details of the study have been discussed elsewhere 16 . Male and female shift employees were chosen using a stratified sampling procedure after being matched for age.…”

Relationship Between Shift Work and Cardiovascular disease Risk Factors in Workers Referred to Occupational Medicine Center of Gonabad University of Medical Sciences

“…Approximately, 18% of all European workers work in shifts, and this rate is as high as 35% in some countries [1]. This type of work schedule alters circadian rhythms of the workers which may adversely affect glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammatory process, and nervous system, and also increase the risk of atherosclerosis, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance [2,3]. In recent years, numerous studies [4][5][6][7][8][9] have been done about the relationship between cardiometabolic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes [4,5] and obesity [6,7] with shift work.…”

“…Understanding the effect of shift work on the cardiovascular diseases risk factors help us control these diseases. Although the results of various studies have shown that shift work contributes to the development of the cardiovascular disease [2][3][4][5]. There are few studies on the effect of shift work on the risk factors which cause this relationship [10,11].…”

The Effect of Shiftwork on Body Composition

“…5 Shiftwork, which often involves work outside the conventional daytime, is a well-known risk factor for developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, obesity, metabolic syndrome (MetS), and type 2 diabetes mellitus. 6,7 The BF distribution is important in assessing the risk of cardiometabolic health, obesity, and other obesity-associated disorders. 8 A recent study found that night shiftworkers had a higher BF percentage (BF%) than regular day workers in the same body mass index (BMI) range.…”