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Work hours and cortisol variation from non-working to working days

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims at modelling the relationship between the number of work hours per week and cortisol variation across 3 days by comparing non-working day to working day in a population of day-shift workers.

Methods

Questionnaire data and saliva samples for cortisol analysis were collected on 132 day-shift workers employed in 13 workplaces in Canada. Consenting workers provided 5 saliva samples a day (awaking, 30 min after awaking, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., bedtime) repeated 3 times (Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday) over a week, to provide measures at work and non-work times and settings. Multilevel regression models were estimated from cortisol measurements at each occasion within a day at level-1, days at level-2 and workers at level-3.

Results

Controlling for gender and age, results revealed significant variations in salivary cortisol concentration between sample, day and worker levels. Cortisol increases linearly from non-working day to work days and work hours per week interacted with days, revealing a positive association between the number of work hours per week and cortisol concentrations during these days. Work hours per week did not interact with awaking, 30 min after awaking, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and bedtime cortisol concentrations. Gender and age had neither main effects nor interaction effects. No significant cortisol variations were found between workplaces.

Conclusion

These results suggest that work hours act as a stressor that is associated with significant variations in cortisol concentrations over working days. Non-working days may contribute to stress reduction in workers who experience longer work hours.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Canadian Health Research Institutes and the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec. The authors also thank Standard Life Canada for their help in workplace recruitment.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Industrial Relations, University of Montreal, C.P. 6128, Succ Centre-ville, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada

    Alain Marchand & Pierre Durand

  2. Public Health Research Institute, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Alain Marchand & Pierre Durand

  3. Centre for Studies on Human Stress, Louis-H Lafontaine Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Sonia Lupien

  4. Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Sonia Lupien

Authors
  1. Alain Marchand
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  2. Pierre Durand
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  3. Sonia Lupien
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Correspondence to Alain Marchand.

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Marchand, A., Durand, P. & Lupien, S. Work hours and cortisol variation from non-working to working days. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 86, 553–559 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-012-0788-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-012-0788-y

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