Shift work: changing the implications of the circadian rhythm in the health of workers - Systematic review

The variation of working schedule is a significant change in employment terms, over recent decades. Among the various forms of existing schedules, there is the organization of shift work. In modern society, a growing number of individuals work in shift schedules. Companies turn to shiftwork to ensure the laboring continuity. Workers in such schedules are subject to circadian rhythm disorders. The objective of this review is to analyze the main implications of this type of schedule on health and safety of workers. We have performed a systematic review using the Prisma methodology. A literature search was conducted in the SCOPUS database, through a combination of keywords and restricting papers published between 2009 and 2014. The results show a relationship between work and sleep disturbance, implying an increase of fatigue, and diseases related with the reduction of melatonin and cortisol increasey.