Increased Risk of Diabetes in Night Shift Working Women with Unhealthy Lifestyles

According to findings from a large medical study conducted in the United States, the likelihood of developing diabetes is higher among women who work night and variable shifts and have unhealthy lifestyles compared to others. A study on female nurses shows that every five years of working in variable night and day shifts increases their risk of diabetes by about 30 percent. Each unhealthy habit, including drinking alcohol, smoking, lack of exercise, and poor diet, also doubles the risk of diabetes. According to Reuters, this research, published in the British Medical Journal, indicates that the risk of diabetes among women who work nights and have variable shifts along with one of these unhealthy habits is nearly three times that of women who only work during the day and lead healthy lives. It has long been known that obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, and poor diet increase the risk of diabetes. Previous studies have also shown that insufficient sleep and irregular sleep patterns contribute to the increased risk of this disease. In this new study, medical data from over 140,000 nurses who were not suffering from diseases like diabetes, heart failure, and cancer and who regularly filled out health and dietary questionnaires between 1976 and 1989 were analyzed. Many of these nurses worked both day and night shifts. Researchers considered three night shifts per month plus variable morning and evening shifts as a variable work pattern. An examination of these individuals' status over the next twenty-some years revealed that at least eleven thousand of them developed type 2 diabetes, typically a result of aging and obesity. Reuters adds that researchers concluded that a combination of night shift work and unhealthy habits has a greater impact on diabetes risk than each factor alone. Researchers estimate that night work and variable shifts account for about 17 percent, unhealthy habits about 71 percent, and 11 percent is a combination of both factors in increasing diabetes risk. This research was not specifically designed to assess the role of work shifts or lifestyle in diabetes development. At the same time, most of the women who participated in this study are white, so the findings may not apply to men or other demographic groups. Nevertheless, many health and public health experts believe this research confirms previous findings regarding the negative role of night work on health. Working at night and sleeping during the day can reduce melatonin production and consequently decrease the body's ability to secrete insulin, which plays a vital role in controlling blood sugar levels. However, doctors believe that individuals who work nights can reduce their risk of diabetes with a healthy lifestyle, particularly through physical activity and a proper diet.