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Workplace
Original article
Non-occupational physical activity levels of shift workers compared with non-shift workers
  1. Bette Loef1,2,
  2. Gerben Hulsegge1,2,
  3. G C Wanda Wendel-Vos1,
  4. W M Monique Verschuren1,3,
  5. Roel C H Vermeulen3,4,
  6. Marije F Bakker3,
  7. Allard J van der Beek2,
  8. Karin I Proper1,2
  1. 1Center for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
  2. 2Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  3. 3Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
  4. 4Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
  1. Correspondence to Karin I Proper, Center for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, PO Box 1, Bilthoven 3720 BA, The Netherlands; karin.proper{at}rivm.nl

Abstract

Objectives Lack of physical activity (PA) has been hypothesised as an underlying mechanism in the adverse health effects of shift work. Therefore, our aim was to compare non-occupational PA levels between shift workers and non-shift workers. Furthermore, exposure–response relationships for frequency of night shifts and years of shift work regarding non-occupational PA levels were studied.

Methods Data of 5980 non-shift workers and 532 shift workers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Netherlands (EPIC-NL) were used in these cross-sectional analyses. Time spent (hours/week) in different PA types (walking/cycling/exercise/chores) and intensities (moderate/vigorous) were calculated based on self-reported PA. Furthermore, sports were operationalised as: playing sports (no/yes), individual versus non-individual sports, and non-vigorous-intensity versus vigorous-intensity sports. PA levels were compared between shift workers and non-shift workers using Generalized Estimating Equations and logistic regression.

Results Shift workers reported spending more time walking than non-shift workers (B=2.3 (95% CI 1.2 to 3.4)), but shift work was not associated with other PA types and any of the sports activities. Shift workers who worked 1–4 night shifts/month (B=2.4 (95% CI 0.6 to 4.3)) and ≥5 night shifts/month (B=3.7 (95% CI 1.8 to 5.6)) spent more time walking than non-shift workers. No exposure–response relationships were found between years of shift work and PA levels.

Conclusions Shift workers spent more time walking than non-shift workers, but we observed no differences in other non-occupational PA levels. To better understand if and how PA plays a role in the negative health consequences of shift work, our findings need to be confirmed in future studies.

  • Physical activity

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2016-103878

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors BL wrote the first draft of the manuscript with further contributions from GH, GCWW-V, WMMV, RCHV, MFB, AJvdB and KIP. BL and GH conducted the statistical analysis. KIP wrote the proposal for this particular study. All the authors interpreted the data, reviewed and edited the manuscript and approved the final version of the manuscript.

    • Funding EPIC-NL was funded by the ‘Europe against Cancer’ programme of the European Commission (SANCO); the Dutch Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sports; the Dutch Cancer Society; ZonMW the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development; and World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF). This study was funded by the strategic programme project 24/7 Health of the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).

    • Disclaimer The funding bodies had no role in the study design; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; writing of the manuscript; or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Ethics approval Approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands (EPIC-Prospect) and the Medical Ethical Committee of TNO Nutrition and Food Research, Zeist, the Netherlands (EPIC-MORGEN).

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

    • Data sharing statement Owing to ethical restrictions related to participant consent, all relevant data are available on request to WMMV, (monique.verschuren@rivm.nl).