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HW (Shift Work and Accidents)

Knutsson's review highlights that shift work does not significantly affect longevity but is associated with various health risks, including gastrointestinal diseases, cardiovascular issues, and increased cancer risk in women. A study by Gold et al. found that shift workers, particularly night nurses, reported higher accident rates and poorer sleep quality, supporting the negative impact of disrupted circadian rhythms. While the findings offer valuable insights for improving work schedules, they may overlook individual differences and the potential for healthier adaptations to shift work.

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13 views3 pages

HW (Shift Work and Accidents)

Knutsson's review highlights that shift work does not significantly affect longevity but is associated with various health risks, including gastrointestinal diseases, cardiovascular issues, and increased cancer risk in women. A study by Gold et al. found that shift workers, particularly night nurses, reported higher accident rates and poorer sleep quality, supporting the negative impact of disrupted circadian rhythms. While the findings offer valuable insights for improving work schedules, they may overlook individual differences and the potential for healthier adaptations to shift work.

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1321193602
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(a) In Knutsson's (2003) review of the effects of shift work, he

notes that there is no relationship between shift work and


longevity. Two studies have compared mortality rates between
day workers and shift workers. The UK study reported no
significant difference and the Danish study reported a very
tiny increase in relative death risk for shift workers.
Knutsson examined specific disorders and conditions.
Firstly, gastrointestinal disease is significantly more common
in shift workers with more symptoms like constipation and
diarrhea. Secondly, working conditions can contribute to the
risk of cardiovascular disease. Thirdly, there is an increased
risk of breast cancer in women who work night shifts although
increased exposure to other carcinogens in these occupations
could not be controlled for. Fourthly, concentrations of
certain substances in the body, including potassium and uric
acid are higher during night work, which may be related to
increased metabolic disturbances. There are also increased
chances of developing diabetes if you work shifts. Fifthly,
studies show relationships between shift work and low birth
weight as well as shift work and premature birth. Finally, the
circadian rhythm can be interrupted or interfered with by shift
work. Sleep deprivation can also affect existing disorders such
as the frequency of epileptic seizures and asthma attacks.
To examine the impact of work schedule on sleep
schedule, sleepiness and accident rates of female nurses,
Gold et al. (1992) conducted a survey of Massachusetts
nurses. This study used a self-administered questionnaire.
Information was asked including the working pattern (variable
shift or same shift), sleep and wake times, quality of sleep,
use of alcohol and so on. Participants were divided into groups
dependent on their work practices, including day/evening
workers, rotators and night shift workers. In results, rotators
reported 2.5 times as many accidents as day/evening nurses,
and night nurses were 1.8 times / rotators were 2.8 times
more likely to report poor quality sleep than the day/evening
workers. In conclusion, the results are consistent with
laboratory demonstrations of the effects of sleep deprivation
and the disruption of circadian rhythms.

(b) One strength of the study of effects of shift work is that it


inclines to the nomothetic explanation, which aims to find the
general laws of behaviours, in the nomothetic vs. idiographic
debate. (P)
The study of Gold et al. supports that the results are
consistent with laboratory demonstrations of the effects of
sleep deprivation and the disruption of circadian rhythms. (E)
The study of Gold et al. has a large size of sample---878
nurses, and also provides many quantitative data, for example
the percentage of nodding-off of people in different groups,
which is good to make predictions to larger populations. This
means that the results and conclusion could be used as a
general law to compare shift work and its effect. (E) Therefore
we can say the study of Gold et al. supports the nomothetic
approach of the debate. This is a strength as we could
understand the relationship and make better choice of our
working patterns. (L)
However, Gold’s study ignores the idiographic side of the
debate, which focus on unique characteristics of the individual
in depth. There may be some external factors like family
issues that could make bad influence on shift work. Therefore
further research could explore the impact of individual
differences on the relationship between shift work and health.
(C)
Another strength is the application to life, which means
the theory could be applied to real-life settings. By identifying
the risks that shift working may pose, not only are individuals
able to make informed decisions about their own working
practices, but employers are able to establish procedures
designed to minimize these risks. For example, the application
of circadian principles to the design of work schedules may
produce improved health and safety for nurses and patients.
However, there are limitations of application. Since the
conclusion focus on mainly bad impacts of shift work on
health, people would choose a healthier working pattern in the
future, for example rotators and night shift workers could
refuse to work at night. This situation has disadvantages
especially in emergency services like doctors, because they do
not want to work at night. Therefore patients could not get
treatments they need immediately.
One weakness of Knutsson’s theory is that it inclines to the
nature side of the effects of shift work in the nature vs. nurture
debate. It (P)
Knutsson supports that shift work has many bad effects to our
health because it interferes our natural circadian rhythms. Shift
work has many bad impacts on health like cancer, diabetes
exacerbation of existing disorders and gastrointestinal disease. (E)
This means that shift work only has bad effects on our health, which
means that people cannot get used to it in the nurture side. (E)
Therefore we say it only focus on nature side but ignores the nurture
side. There is no evidence that shows night workers and shift
workers have definitely higher risk of these diseases. For example, if
night workers have same sleeping duration, eating diets and other
same life-styles expert for working time compared to day workers,
they might not have higher risk of the diseases mentioned.

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