The association between shift work and possible obstructive sleep apnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background Shift work is a workschedule, since industrial era and some employees work in shift. It causes a desynchronization of the biological clock with consequences on sleep amount and quality, such as insomnia and easy fatigue. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the sleep problems that are getting more and more attention, but studies on the association between shift work and OSA were rare. Herein, we aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the association between shift work and possible OSA. Methods This study was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We queried PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases using a related set of keywords. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) participants were adult employees hired by a company or organization; (2) exposure was shift work; and (3) outcome was possible OSA according to examination or assessment. Results We included six studies in the systematic review and five studies were selected for further meta-analysis. A random-effects model showed an association of shift work with a small, non-significant increase in possible OSA cases (pooled prevalence relative risk = 1.05; 95% CI 0.85–1.30; p = 0.65). This association occurred in both healthcare and non-healthcare workers group. Conclusion The association between shift work and possible OSA remains inconclusive and could be small if not negligible. Future studies should assess the association between specific work schedules and specific OSA definitions. Trial registration number PROSPERO ID: CRD42020156837

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The Impact of Shift Work on Occupational Health Indicators among Professionally Active Adults: A Comparative Study

“…In addition to the immediate disruption of the circadian rhythm and implications for sleep quality [ 5 ], an extensive list of recent research results shows that these consequences interfere in numerous areas of human functionality, namely the following in the area of physical health: the risk of breast cancer [ 6 ], chronic fatigue, sleep problems and social jetlag [ 7 , 8 , 9 ], obesity and overweight [ 10 ], metabolic syndrome [ 11 ], carcinogenicity [ 12 ], increased cortisol secretion [ 13 ], use of psychotropic medication [ 14 ], vascular endothelial dysfunction and platelet activation [ 15 ], hypertension [ 16 ], cardiovascular mortality [ 17 ], obstructive sleep apnea [ 18 ], diabetes mellitus [ 19 , 20 ], women’s menopausal age and menstrual years [ 21 ], abnormal liver function [ 22 ], and overall chronic diseases [ 23 ].…”