Night Shift Working and Its Impact on Development and Control of Diabetes Mellitus in Workers of Abo Korkas Sugar Factory, El-Minia, Egypt

Abstract

Introduction: Rotating night shift work disrupts circadian rhythms and it has been associated with chronic conditions including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, metabolic syndrome and glucose dysregulation. Aim of work: the study aimed at determining the prevalence of glucose abnormalities among Abo-Korkas sugar factory workers and exploring the impact of rotating night shifts on glycemic state and control of diabetes. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study a total of 330 male workers at Abo-Korkas sugar factory were randomly selected to fill out an interview questionnaire, have medical examination and be tested for fasting and post-prandial blood glucose level; with assessment of HbA1c (Hemoglobin A1c test) for those who were diagnosed as diabetics. Results: Our findings showed that 61 (18.4%) workers were diabetics, 7 of them were newly diagnosed diabetics. The prevalence of diabetes was significantly higher (p= 0.01) among former (33.3%) and current (15.7%) night shift than day-time workers (14.4%). The crude Odds Ratio (OR) for developing diabetes mellitus among the current and former shift workers were 1.1 (0.56-2.18) and 2.9 (1.39-6.31), respectively. Moreover, shift working significantly affected diabetes control (p= 0.04) with an OR= 3.83 (1.02-14.34). Conclusion: Rotating shift work especially night shifts have negative effects on health. It was found to be associated with developing type 2 diabetes mellitus and it hindered diabetes control among night shift diabetic workers. Preventive programs should be implemented for high risk employees. Occupational health practitioners should be aware of such associations that will help them in prevention and management of diabetic employees.