Approximately a quarter of the female workforce in Canada works shifts. Shift workers
experience a misalignment between their endogenous circadian rhythms and their sleep/wake
cycle, which can result in various health and psychosocial problems, including sleep
disruptions, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal disorders, and effects on relationships
and mood. Shift-working women also have several gender-specific health concerns and
may be especially at risk for developing menstrual cycle irregularities, problems
with reproductive health, and breast cancer. This article includes a theoretical background
on circadian rhythms and clock genes, presents general problems of circadian misalignment,
and discusses the specific issues associated with shift work as they pertain to women.
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Article info
Footnotes
This work was supported by a grant from the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec (FRSQ). Dr. James was supported by a fellowship from the IRSST. Dr. Boivin was supported by a career award from the CIHR.
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© 2008 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
