Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32895725›Full record

ArticleScandinavian journal of work, environment & health2020

How to schedule night shift work in order to reduce health and safety risks.

Anne Helene Garde, Luise Begtrup, Bjørn Bjorvatn, Jens Peter Bonde, Johnni Hansen, Åse Marie Hansen, Mikko Härmä, Marie Aarrebo Jensen, Göran Kecklund, Henrik A Kolstad and 5 more

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PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 78 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
78citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
10.3field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

78 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 109 citations in OpenAlex.

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  10. Shift work, genetic risk, and incident gout: a prospective cohort study in the UK Biobank.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2026
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18 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors at 9 institutions in 5 countries.

Anne Helene GardeThe National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lerso Parkallé 105, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. ahg@nfa.dk.
Luise Begtrup
Bjørn Bjorvatn
Jens Peter Bonde
Johnni Hansen
Åse Marie Hansen
Mikko Härmä
Marie Aarrebo Jensen
Göran Kecklund
Henrik A Kolstad
Ann Dyreborg Larsen
Jenny Anne Lie
Claudia Rc Moreno
Kirsten Nabe-Nielsen
Mikael Sallinen
University of Copenhagen · DKNational Research Centre for the Working Environment · DKStockholm University · SEAarhus University Hospital · DKDanish Cancer Society · DKFinnish Institute of Occupational Health · FIFrederiksberg Hospital · DKNational Institute of Occupational Health · NOUniversity of Bergen · NO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objectives This discussion paper aims to provide scientifically based recommendations on night shift schedules, including consecutive shifts, shift intervals and duration of shifts, which may reduce health and safety risks. Short-term physiological effects in terms of circadian disruption, inadequate sleep duration and quality, and fatigue were considered as possible links between night shift work and selected health and safety risks, namely, cancer, cardio-metabolic disease, injuries, and pregnancy-related outcomes. Method In early 2020, 15 experienced shift work researchers participated in a workshop where they identified relevant scientific literature within their main research area. Results Knowledge gaps and possible recommendations were discussed based on the current evidence. The consensus was that schedules which reduce circadian disruption may reduce cancer risk, particularly for breast cancer, and schedules that optimize sleep and reduce fatigue may reduce the occurrence of injuries. This is generally achieved with fewer consecutive night shifts, sufficient shift intervals, and shorter night shift duration. Conclusions Based on the limited, existing literature, we recommend that in order to reduce the risk of injuries and possibly breast cancer, night shift schedules have: (i) ≤3 consecutive night shifts; (ii) shift intervals of ≥11 hours; and (iii) ≤9 hours shift duration. In special cases - eg, oil rigs and other isolated workplaces with better possibilities to adapt to daytime sleep - additional or other recommendations may apply. Finally, to reduce risk of miscarriage, pregnant women should not work more than one night shift in a week.

Indexed as

Shift Work ScheduleCardiovascular DiseasesCircadian RhythmFatigueHumansMetabolic DiseasesNeoplasmsOccupational HealthOccupational InjuriesRiskSleepSleep Wake Disorders

Identifiers

PMID32895725
PMCPMC7737811
OpenAlexW3083966563

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.