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Rotating shift work and menstrual cycle characteristics.
- Source :
- Epidemiology; May2011, Vol. 22 Issue 3, p305-312, 8p
- Publication Year :
- 2011
-
Abstract
- <bold>Background: </bold>Shift workers who experience sleep disturbances and exposure to light at night could be at increased risk for alterations in physiologic functions that are circadian in nature.<bold>Methods: </bold>We investigated rotating shift work and menstrual cycle patterns in the Nurses' Health Study II using cross-sectional data collected in 1993 from 71,077 nurses aged 28-45 years who were having menstrual periods and were not using oral contraceptives. Log-binomial regression was used to estimate relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).<bold>Results: </bold>Eight percent of participants reported working rotating night shifts for 1-9 months, 4% for 10-19 months, and 7% for 20+ months during the previous 2 years. Irregular cycles (>7 days variability) were reported by 10% of participants. Seventy percent of women reported menstrual cycles of 26-31 days, 1% less than 21 days, 16% 21-25 days, 11% 32-39 days, and 1% 40+ days. Women with 20+ months of rotating shift work were more likely to have irregular cycles (adjusted RR = 1.23 [CI = 1.14-1.33]); they were also more likely to have cycle length <21 days (1.27 [0.99-1.62]) or 40+ days (1.49 [1.19-1.87]) (both compared with 26-31 days). For irregular patterns and for 40+ day cycles, there was evidence of a dose response with increasing months of rotating shift work. Moderately short (21-25 days) or long (32-39 days) cycle lengths were not associated with rotating shift work.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Shift work was modestly associated with menstrual function, with possible implications for fertility and other cycle-related aspects of women's health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- PHYSIOLOGICAL adaptation
AGE distribution
COMPARATIVE studies
CONFIDENCE intervals
RESEARCH methodology
MEDICAL cooperation
MENSTRUAL cycle
MENSTRUATION disorders
MULTIVARIATE analysis
NURSES
PROGNOSIS
REGRESSION analysis
RESEARCH
RESEARCH funding
RISK assessment
WORK
EVALUATION research
DISEASE incidence
CROSS-sectional method
CHRONOBIOLOGY disorders
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 10443983
- Volume :
- 22
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Supplemental Index
- Journal :
- Epidemiology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 111235116
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0b013e3182130016