Industrial Shift Work : Decrease in Well-being and Specific Effects

Abstract

By means of a standardized and validated inventory approximately 600 shift workers and 1200 non-shift workers were investigated. The inventory consisted of dichotomous questions concerning essentially vague complaints of somatic and psychosomatic nature. The conclusions of this investigation were as follows.

To a certain degree a stereotyped pattern of complaints exists. This pattern is the same in shift workers and in non-shift workers, in several types of industry and probably also in several districts. To a slight degree the pattern is typical for a factory.

The data do not indicate that complaints about nervousness and gastrointestinal disorders occur more frequently in shift workers than in non-shift workers.

It was found, however, that there was a significant decrease in general well-being. This difference is smaller after the elimination of influences originating from environmental load and ageing, but the slight influence of shift work, though not specific, remains.

It is probable that the negative effects of shift work are partly veiled by the fact that a selection of workers has occurred so that shift workers tend in some respects to be stronger and healthier than non-shift workers.

In view of the large numbers and industrial diversity of the shift workers and non-shift workers investigated in this study, the main conclusion is that for subjective well-being in both its somatic and psychological aspects shift work can in general probably hardly be called a problem.