Shift Work

Shift work has been associated to several negative consequences for the workers. In general, it can be said that the effects on health, to some extent derived from the desynchronization between working hours and the circadian system, have been the most studied by the scientific community. Chapter One aims at presenting the main impacts of shift work at the family level and social life, particularly in terms of work-family conflict, marital relationships, parenting and participation in social/community life. Chapter Two reviews the main cardiovascular disorders and risk factors associated with shift work, the main mechanisms linking shift work and cardiovascular diseases, especially hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, coronary heart disease, stroke, arterial stiffness and early arterial aging, providing a brief description of the latest studies in the area, their implications for cardiovascular prevention, clinical practice and therapy. Chapter Three intends to present and reflect on the key strategies that can be implemented in an organizational context in order to promote adaptation to shift work.