Occupational stress as a result shift system of work as a risk factor for health problems of workers

We examined risk for occupational stress evolvement caused by shift work in various occupational groups basing on the analysis of up-to-date domestic and foreign works. The article contains brief description of specific shift work forms in different countries and its probable contribution into poorer work quality. We detected bilateral correlation between sleep disturbance and work; this correlation is associated with psychosocial risks (including work style, high demands and low level of control, workday length and shift work as well as imbalance between labor efforts and payments). We showed that desynchronizing when a person has shift work schedule, especially with shift rotation, exerts negative stress influence on physical and mental health, causing high risks for obstructive sleep apnea, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, pancreatic diabetes, functional disorders of nervous system state and mental health, and even evolvement of certain malignant neoplasms. There is a brief analysis of the data on higher risks of these health disorders for workers from various occupational groups, including law enforcement agencies, doctors and nurses, railroad workers etc. We noted the correlation between increase in pathologic changes probability and length of shift work with shift rotations. The obtained data prove that shift work, especially with shift rotations, is dangerous for health and longevity. We need to improve legal regulation in order to reduce potential danger of shift work for workers' health.