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  • Retrospective cohort study of the risk of obesity among shift workers: findings from the Industry-based Shift Workers' Health study, Japan

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Original article
Workplace
Retrospective cohort study of the risk of obesity among shift workers: findings from the Industry-based Shift Workers' Health study, Japan
  1. Tatsuhiko Kubo1,
  2. Ichiro Oyama2,
  3. Takehiro Nakamura3,
  4. Kiyoyumi Shirane2,
  5. Hirotake Otsuka2,
  6. Masamizu Kunimoto2,
  7. Koji Kadowaki2,
  8. Takashi Maruyama4,
  9. Hajime Otomo5,
  10. Yoshihisa Fujino1,
  11. Tetsuro Matsumoto6,
  12. Shinya Matsuda1
  1. 1Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan
  2. 2Asahi Kasei, Nobeoka Office Health Care Center, Nobeoka, Japan
  3. 3Asahi Kasei Chemicals, Mizushima Works Health Care Center, Okayama, Japan
  4. 4Occupational Health Training Center, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan
  5. 5Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan
  6. 6Department of Urology, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan
  1. Correspondence to Tatsuhiko Kubo, Department of Public Health, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-1 Iseigaoka, Yahata-nishi-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, 807-8555, Japan; kubo{at}med.uoeh-u.ac.jp

Abstract

Objectives The authors investigated the effect of shift working on the risk of obesity using data from the Industry-based Shift Workers' Health (IbSH) study, a retrospective cohort study based on a health care database system belonging to a manufacturing corporation in Japan.

Methods The study database contains data on annual health check-ups and work schedules for every worker in the corporation in Japan since 1981. Study subjects consisted of 9912 male employees (8892 daytime workers and 920 rotating three-shift workers; mean age at first check-up was 23.7 years) whose work schedules were consistent during the follow-up period. Obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥25.0.

Results 3319 cases of obesity were recorded over the 27.5 years of retrospective follow-up. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis visually demonstrated an increased risk of obesity among shift workers. The risk becomes particularly obvious after 10 years of follow-up. Cox proportional-hazards model analysis revealed a significantly increased risk among shift workers (RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.28).

Conclusion The risk of obesity among male shift workers was visually and statistically demonstrated.

  • Work schedule tolerance
  • shift work
  • obesity
  • historical cohort study
  • Japan
  • epidemiology
  • occupational health practice

https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.2009.054445

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    Footnotes

    • See Editorial, p 310

    • Funding This work was supported by KAKENHI, a Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B) (No 19790437) and Scientific Research (C) (No 22590618) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.

    • Competing interests None.

    • Ethics approval This study was conducted with the approval of the Ethics Committee for Medical Care and Research at The University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

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