1. Night-Time Shift Work and Related Stress Responses: A Study on Security Guards
- Author
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Caterina Ledda, Tiziana Ramaci, Fulvio Plescia, Emanuele Cannizzaro, Luigi Cirrincione, Alessandro Scorciapino, Walter Mazzucco, Cesare Catalano, Cannizzaro E., Cirrincione L., Mazzucco W., Scorciapino A., Catalano C., Ramaci T., Ledda C., and Plescia F.
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Sympathetic nervous system ,Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System ,Hydrocortisone ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Physiology ,Pituitary-Adrenal System ,lcsh:Medicine ,Blood Pressure ,Article ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Rhythm ,Work Schedule Tolerance ,Medicine ,Humans ,Circadian rhythm ,Vagal tone ,Anxiety-like behavior ,HPA axis activation ,Occupational stress ,Work-related stress ,Saliva ,business.industry ,fungi ,anxiety-like behavior ,lcsh:R ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,food and beverages ,Shift Work Schedule ,Middle Aged ,hpa axis activation ,Circadian Rhythm ,Blood pressure ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Security guard ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,work-related stress ,business ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Homeostasis ,Occupational stre ,Biomarkers ,occupational stress - Abstract
Work-related stress can induce a break in homeostasis by placing demands on the body that are met by the activation of two different systems, the hypothalamic&ndash, pituitary&ndash, adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system. Night-shift work alters the body&rsquo, s exposure to the natural light&ndash, dark schedule and disrupts circadian (daily) rhythms. The greatest effect of night-shift work is the disruption of circadian rhythms. The impact that these disruptions may have on the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cancer, is unknown. This study aims to discover the relationship among three different job activities of security guards and their stress-related responses by evaluating salivary cortisol levels and blood pressure. Methods: Ninety security guards, including night-time workers and night-time and daily-shift workers, were recruited for this study. Each security guard provided two saliva samples before and after three scheduled time points: (i) at 22:00, (ii) at 06:30, and (iii) at 14:00. Results: The results of the study showed a significant alteration in cortisol levels. Night-time shift cortisol levels significantly increased before and after the work shifts. A physiological prevalence of the vagal tone on the cardiocirculatory activity was found during night-shift work. Conclusions: This study indicates that cortisol levels and blood pressure are sensitive markers of biological responses to severe work stress. Shift-change consequences may occur at the end of the night shift when there is a significant increase in the cortisol level and a significant variation in cardiovascular parameters.
- Published
- 2020