Re-entrainment of body temperature in field studies of shiftwork
- 60 Downloads
- 26 Citations
Summary
Oral temperature readings were taken from six groups of shift-workers (n = 133). The measurements covered a total of 387 days and included readings on a day off and on days of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th and 7th nightshift. The shiftworkers were asked to record oral temperature every 2 h, at work and at leisure, using special thermometers (1°C equals 4 cm). Some of them also interrupted their sleep for additional measurements.
On the first day of the night shift the normal circadian rhythm of body temperature was virtually unchanged in most of the groups. However in two groups with a higher physical load during nightwork, an increased temperature was observed during the night (“masking effect”). There were no significant differences between the temperature rhythms in experienced (≥ 15 years of shiftwork) and inexperienced shiftworkers (≤ 1 year of shiftwork) within the first nightshift. During the period of consecutive nightshifts no clear re-entrainment of body temperature was observed. Re-entrainment to nightwork appears to be slower in field studies than in experimental shiftwork studies, which might be explained by the influence of unshifted social “Zeitgebers” in real life.
Key words
Shiftwork Field studies Re-entrainment Body temperature Social zeitgebersPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
- Åkerstedt T, Pátkai P, Dahlgren K (1977) Field studies of shiftwork. II. Temporal patterns in psychophysiological activation in workers alternating between night and day work. Ergonomics 20:621–631PubMedGoogle Scholar
- Aschoff J (1978) Features of circadian rhythms relevant for the design of shift schedules. Ergonomics 21:739–754PubMedGoogle Scholar
- Benedict FG, Snell JF (1902) Körpertemperatur-Schwankungen mit besonderer Rücksicht auf den Einfluß, welchen die Umkehrung der täglichen Lebensgewohnheit beim Menschen ausübt. Pfluegers Arch 90:33–72Google Scholar
- Colquhoun WP, Condon R (1981) Introversion-extraversion and the adjustment of the body-temperature rhythm to night work. In: Reinberg A, Vieux N, Andlauer P (eds) Night and shift work. Biological and social aspects. Pergamon Press, Oxford, pp 449–455Google Scholar
- Colquhoun WP, Edwards RS (1970) Circadian rhythms of body temperature in shift-workers at a coalface. Br J Ind Med 27:266–272PubMedGoogle Scholar
- Colquhoun WP, Blake MJF, Edwards RS (1968) Experimental studies of shift-work. II. Stabilized 8-hour shift systems. Ergonomics 11:527–546PubMedGoogle Scholar
- Guberan E, Williams MK, Walford J, Smith MM (1969) Circadian variation of FEV in shift workers. Br J Ind Med 26:121–125PubMedGoogle Scholar
- Knauth P, Rutenfranz J (1976) Experimental shift work studies of permanent night, and rapidly rotating, shift systems. I. Circadian rhythm of body temperature and re-entrainment at shift change. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 37:125–137CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
- Knauth P, Rutenfranz J, Herrmann G, Poeppl SJ (1978) Re-entrainment of body temperature in experimental shift-work studies. Ergonomics 21:775–783PubMedGoogle Scholar
- Loon JH van (1963) Diurnal body temperature curves in shift workers. Ergonomics 6:267–273Google Scholar
- Margolina OJ, Brandt EJ (1954) 24-Studden-Rhythmus physiologischer Funktionen beim Menschen. Versuch seiner Änderung und Anwendung von Stimulatoren des Zentralnervensystems. In: Bykow KM (Hrsg) Studien über periodische Veränderungen physiologischer Funktionen des Organismus. Akademie Verlag, Berlin, S 62–76Google Scholar
- Meers A (1975) Performance on different turns of duty within a three-shift system and its relation to body temperature-two field studies. In: Colquhoun P, Folkard S, Knauth P, Rutenfranz J (eds) Experimental studies of shiftwork. Forschungsbericht des Landes NRW, Nr 2513. Westdeutscher Verlag, Opladen, S 188–205Google Scholar
- Nelson W, Tong YL, Lee J-K, Halberg F (1979) Methods for cosinor-rhythmometry. Chronobiologia 6:305–323PubMedGoogle Scholar
- Pátkai P, Åkerstedt T, Pettersson K (1977) Field studies of shiftwork. I. Temporal patterns in psychophysiological activation in permanent night workers. Ergonomics 20:611–619PubMedGoogle Scholar
- Pawlowska-Skyba K, Wojtczak-Jaroszowa J, Romejko M (1968) Night work and shiftwork. III. Effect of three-shifts work system on the body physiological activity (in Polish). Med Pr 19:321–332Google Scholar
- Reinberg A, Chaumont A-J, Laporte A (1975) Circadian temporal structure of 20 shift workers (8-hour shift-weekly rotation). An autometric field study. In: Colquhoun P, Folkard S, Knauth P, Rutenfranz J (eds) Experimental studies of shiftwork. Forschungsbericht des Landes NRW, Nr 2513. Westdeutscher Verlag, Opladen, pp 142–165Google Scholar
- Smith P (1977) A study of the circadian rhythms of body temperature, alertness and sleep in different groups of industrial shift workers. PhD thesis, Heriot-Watt University, EdinburghGoogle Scholar
- Smith P (1979) A study of weekly and rapidly rotating shiftworkers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 43:211–220CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
- Vokac Z, Rodahl K (1975) A field study of rotating and continuous night shifts in a steel mill. In: Colquhoun P, Folkard S, Knauth P, Rutenfranz J (eds) Experimental studies of shiftwork. Forschungsbericht des Landes NRW, Nr 2513. Westdeutscher Verlag, Opladen, pp 168–173Google Scholar
- Wedderburn A Studies of shift work in the steel industry. Br Steel Corp, LondonGoogle Scholar