The impact of chronotype on melatonin levels among shift workers.

Publié le 11 août 2014 • Catégorie(s) : Conditions de travail et santé psychologique • Mot(s) clef(s) : horaires de travail

Auteur    Parveen Bhatti
Auteur    Dana K. Mirick
Auteur    Scott Davis
Publication    Occupational and environmental medicine
Date    2014 Jan 7
Résumé    OBJECTIVES: The association between shift work and cancer, which is thought to be mediated by effects on circulating melatonin levels, may be modified by chronotype (ie, the inherent preference for activity in the morning or the evening); however, few studies have examined the potential impact of chronotype on the carcinogenic effects of shift work. The authors analysed the impact of chronotype on previously reported differences in melatonin levels among healthcare workers that exclusively worked night or day shifts. METHODS: The cross-sectional study included 664 men and women (310 day shift and 354 night shift workers) from which urine samples were collected throughout work and sleep periods and were assayed for 6-sulfatoxymelatonin. Participants also completed the Composite Scale of Morningness, a questionnaire used to assess chronotype. RESULTS: Among both morning and evening-type night shift workers,