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Cited by 48Sleep and Work-Related FatigueWorkplace Health and Well-beingOccupational Health and Safety in Workplaces

Medical program for shift workers—impacts on chronic disease and mortality outcomes

Open access
Oberlinner, Christoph, Ott, M Gerald, Nasterlack, Michael, Yong, Mei, Messerer,, Peter, Zober, Andreas, Lang, Stefan·2009·Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health
DOI 10.5271/sjweh.1332
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: In 1983, global chemical company BASF SE implemented a supplemental health protection program to help its employees cope with the stressors associated with shift work. The program included comprehensive medical examinations and health promotion activities targeted at shift workers. METHODS: To assess the possible long-term health impacts of the program, cohorts of 14,128 male rotating shift and 17,218 male day wage employees were established via electronic job history searches. Health examination and mortality records were linked to job histories and studied over an 11-year period. RESULTS: Between 1996 and 2006, there were 414 and 463 deaths among rotating shift and day work employees, respectively. Mortality risks were marginally lower among shift working employees when taking age and job level into consideration, and remained so when cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and existing chronic disease conditions were included as explanatory factors. The incidence of obesity, diabetes, and diseases of the circulatory and digestive system, as diagnosed or reported during health examinations, was higher among shift work employees, possibly as a consequence of enhanced medical surveillance or a direct effect of shift work. CONCLUSION: Incorporation of extensive occupational medical examinations, health seminars, and other intervention programs may help mitigate the long-term health consequences of shift work.

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  • Shift work is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

    “Prospective epidemiologic studies indicate that shift work is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (4–9).”

    From Circadian Misalignment Augments Markers of Insulin Resistance and Inflammation, Independently of Sleep Loss (2014) · cites this paper as [5]

    The Results (Table 4) report higher diabetes incidence among rotating-shift workers, but classify cases as diabetes mellitus (E10–E14), not specifically type 2 diabetes. They also report increased risks for hypertensive diseases and conductive heart disorders, while finding no clear increase in ischemic heart disease. The claim therefore generalizes beyond the cardiovascular outcomes this study supports. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • The increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease documented in epidemiologic studies of shift work is unlikely to be solely due to sleep loss and would not be fully mitigated by strategies designed to preserve sleep duration.

    “The increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease documented in epidemiologic studies of shift work (4–9) is thus unlikely to be solely due to sleep loss and would not be fully mitigated by strategies designed to preserve sleep duration.”

    From Circadian Misalignment Augments Markers of Insulin Resistance and Inflammation, Independently of Sleep Loss (2014) · cites this paper as [5]

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Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. Schiebeler H, Pluto R, Germann C, et al. Preventive occupational medical examinations of shift workers. In: Costa G, Cesana G, Kogi K, Wedderburn A, editors. Shiftwork: Health, Sleep and Performance; Proceedings of the IX International Symposium on Night and Shift Work, Verona, Italy, 1989. Frankfurt am Main (Germany): Peter Lang, 1990. p 608-16.
  2. Oberlinner C, Lang S, Germann C, Trauth B, Eberle F, Pluto R, et al. [Prevention of overweight and obesity in the workplace: BASF-health promotion campaign "trim down the pounds -losing weight without losing your mind"]. Gesundheitswesen. 2007;69:385-92.
  3. Oberlinner C, Neumann SM, Ott MG, Zober A. Screening for pre-diabetes in the workplace. Occup Med. 2008;58:41-5.
  4. Zober A, Pluto R. Primärprävention -Ein Aufgabenfeld für die Arbeitsmedizin [Primary prevention -a task for occupational medicine]. Arbeitsmed Sozialmed Präventivmed. 1991;15:55-60.
  5. Pietroiusti A, Forlini A, Magrini A, Galante A, Coppeta L, Gemma G, et al. Shift work increases the frequency of duodenal ulcer in H. pylori infected workers. Occup Environ Med. 2006;63:773-5.

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Authors
Oberlinner, C., Ott, M. G., Nasterlack, M., Yong, M., Messerer, Zober, A., & Lang, S.
Affiliations
  • BASF (Germany) (DE)
  • BASF (United States) (US)
ORCID
Yong, Mei
Venue
Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health
Publisher
Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health
Published
2009-05-27
Volume
35
Issue
4
Pages
309-318
ISSN
  • 0355-3140 (ISSN-L)
  • 1795-990X
DOI
10.5271/sjweh.1332
OpenAlex
W2071760662
Cited by
48
References
29
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 2
FWCI
2.54
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Workplace Health and Well-being
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Safety in Workplaces
Keywords
shift work, rotating shifts, occupational health program, health promotion, occupational medical examination, mortality, chronic disease, obesity, diabetes mellitus, circulatory diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, occupational stress, chemical industry workers, BASF
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Alcohol Drinking, Chronic Disease, Circadian Rhythm, Efficiency, Germany, Health Promotion, Humans, Male, Occupational Diseases, Risk, Risk Factors, Stress, Psychological, Time Factors, Work Schedule Tolerance, Program Evaluation, Confidence Intervals, Occupational Health, Occupational Exposure, Workplace

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