A recent study has found a connection between shift work and a higher incidence of respiratory infections among healthcare workers, primarily attributed to poorer sleep quality. The cohort study involved 396 hospital employees, revealing that those who worked shifts experienced a 23% greater rate of influenza-like illness and acute respiratory infection episodes compared to their non-shift working counterparts.
Read More
Participants included healthcare professionals who either worked rotating or night shifts or had not worked such shifts for at least six months. Initial assessments measured sleep duration and physical activity using accelerometers and diaries, while participants reported their sleep quality and food intake.
Over six months, participants daily documented respiratory symptoms using a smartphone application. On average, shift workers reported 3.5 episodes of respiratory illness, while non-shift workers reported 2.9. After adjusting for age, gender, occupation, influenza vaccination status, and perceived overall health, shift workers still exhibited a 23% higher incidence of respiratory infections.
When adjusting for sleep quality, physical activity, and dietary habits, the difference decreased to 15%, losing statistical significance. Notably, poor sleep quality was identified as the primary mediator, with shift workers more than three times as likely to report poor sleep compared to non-shift workers. This group demonstrated a 29% higher rate of respiratory illness through the poor sleep quality pathway.
Interestingly, perceived sleep quality was shown to be more critical than the actual sleep duration measured. Although shift workers tended to experience more frequent short sleep episodes, neither short nor long sleep duration significantly influenced the relationship between shift work and respiratory infections. Furthermore, physical activity levels and eating patterns did not significantly mediate the infection rates; despite higher overall activity levels at work, these factors did not explain the increased incidence.
The researchers suggest that focusing on perceived sleep quality could be essential in understanding infection susceptibility among healthcare shift workers. They also emphasize the need for further studies to validate these findings, explore additional mechanisms, and assess whether improving sleep quality can impact respiratory infection rates.
Reference: Loef B et al. The mediating role of sleep, physical activity, and diet in the association between shift work and respiratory infections. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2020;46(5):516-524.