The Effect of Shiftwork on Body Composition: A Comparative Cross-sectional Study Among Health Care Workers.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared the body composition parameters between shiftworkers and nonshiftworkers in a hospital setting in Sri Lanka. METHODS: A comparative cross-sectional study was carried out among a sample of 78 health care workers, recruited by a stratified random sampling technique. Subjects underwent anthropometric and bioimpedentiometric analysis for body composition parameters. RESULTS: The mean (SD) body fat percentage (BF%) of shiftworking women (40.8 [SD, 6.8%]) was significantly higher than day-working women (36.7% [SD, 5.9%]) ( P < 0.05). Mean BF% between day and shift groups did not significantly differ (33.0% [SD, 6.9%] vs 32.4% [SD, 10.7%]). Body mass index and waist circumference were significantly higher among shiftworking women ( P < 0.05), whereas male workers showed the opposite trend. CONCLUSION: Prolonged exposure to shiftwork was associated with a higher BF%. Therefore, interventions for shiftworkers must be addressed, focusing on improving body composition.