A person’s volatile work schedule can affect sleep and make them feel tired. But can they have a long-term health effect? Researchers have found that working outside the typical 9–5 schedule in early adulthood can worsen a person’s health by the age of 50.
Previous studies have shown how nonstandard work schedules can negatively impact physical and mental health. In the latest study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, researchers took a “life-course” approach to study the lasting health impacts of unpredictable work schedules. This means they analyzed how work patterns influenced health not just at one specific time, but throughout an individual’s adult life.
The researchers defined a standard work schedule as 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., an evening work schedule as 2 p.m. to midnight, and a night shift as 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. Participants were considered to have “variable” schedules if they worked split or rotating shifts or had irregular hours.
The team used data from over 7,300 participants who were part of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979. The participants were between the ages of 14 and 22 and were surveyed at various points over time. Approximately 50% of the participants were White, 33% were Black, and 19% were Hispanic individuals.
The researchers discovered that 26% of the participants consistently worked stable standard hours, while 35% primarily worked standard hours. About 17% started with standard hours in their 20s but later transitioned to volatile working patterns, which included evening, night, and variable hours. Another 12% started with standard hours and later switched to variable hours, while the remaining 10% were mostly not working during this period.
The results showed that transitioning from working early standard hours to volatile schedules between ages 22 and 49 was significantly associated with poor health outcomes. This also worsened their health and increased their risk of developing depressive symptoms at age 50, an effect…
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