Shift work is associated with both long-term and short-term health problems. It is about sleep disorders that lead to fatigue, accidents and imbalances between privacy and short-term work and heart disease, diabetes and long-term cancer.

Therefore, Göran Kecklund, professor of psychobiological sleep research, and his research group at the Stress Research Institute at Stockholm University examined three different schema models for shift work in health care to see how the disorders were affected.

No model better

The models examined were a fixed rolling schedule, such as a regular three-shift, a fixed schedule but with working time shortening of about two hours per week and an individual schedule. It turned out that those who worked shifts experienced the same problem regardless of schedule.

The researchers were therefore able to find that there were no or small differences between working time models when it came to stress, fatigue, health problems or the balance between private and working life.

Work environment is more important

On the other hand, the working environment seems to be largely a factor affecting stress, sleep and health. Other factors that provide better conditions for shift workers are a daily rest period that exceeds eleven hours, shorter work hours, a maximum of two to three night shifts in succession, breaks at work and a staffing that is adapted to work requirements.

The project was financed by AFA Försäkringar with the aim of reducing long-term ill-health in working life.

"Our study showed that it is important to take into account workload and that high work stress is an important contributing factor to a lack of recovery," says Göran Kecklund in a press release from the company.