Night Shift Work and Risk of Depression: Meta-analysis of Observational Studies.

This study aimed to assess whether night shift work is associated with the risk of depression by using a meta-analysis of observational studies. We searched PubMed and EMBASE in August, 2016 to locate eligible studies and investigated the association between night shift work and the risk of depression, reporting outcome measures with adjusted odds ratios (ORs) or relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). In the meta-analysis of a total of 11 observational studies with 9 cross-sectional study, 1 longitudinal study, and 1 cohort study, night shift work was significantly associated with an increased risk of depression (OR/RR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.24-1.64; I² = 78.0%). Also, subgroup meta-analyses by gender, night shift work duration, type of occupation, continent, and type of publication showed that night shift work was consistently associated with the increased risk of depression. The current meta-analysis suggests that night shift work is associated with the increased risk of depression. However, further large prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm this association.

Latent transition analysis on post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth among firefighters.

Background: Firefighters, in the course of their professional responsibilities, confront an array of stressors contingent upon the distinctive characteristics of their duties.Objective: This study investigated the longitudinal impact of trauma incidents during duty on firefighters using latent transition analysis.Method: Data from 346 firefighters in South Korea who had experienced trauma events while on duty were utilized. Initially, latent groups were identified based on the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-traumatic growth (PTG). Groups were labelled based on the analysis of differences in PTSD, mental health, and growth-related factors among classified groups. Subsequently, transition probabilities and patterns from Time 1 to Time 2 were examined, followed by an investigation into variances based on demographic factors (gender, age) and occupational factors (work experience, shift pattern) using variance analysis and multinomial logistic regression analysis.Results: First, at Time 2, a five-group model was classified into 'Growth,' 'Resilience or Numbness,' 'Struggle,' 'Partial Struggle,' and 'PTSD' groups. Second, upon examining the transition patterns between latent groups, four patterns emerged: 'continued distress,' 'growth,' 'adaptation,' and 'escalated distress.' Third, the 'Struggle' group showed a 0% probability of transitioning to the 'Growth' group, whereas it displayed the highest probability among the groups transitioning to the 'PTSD' group. Fourth, latent transition analysis results showed a strong tendency for the 'Growth' group and 'Resilience or Numbness' group to remain in the same category. Fifth, age was found to be a significant factor affecting the transition of latent groups.Conclusion: This research represents the inaugural attempt to longitudinally investigate the interplay between PTSD and PTG among firefighters.

Firefighters, in the course of their professional responsibilities, confront an array of stressors contingent upon the distinctive characteristics of their duties.The transition patterns of firefighters between latent groups revealed at Time 1 and Time 2 were examined, revealing four transition patterns: 'continued distress,' 'growth,' 'adaptation,' and 'escalated distress.'This research represents the inaugural attempt to longitudinally investigate the interplay between post-traumatic stress disorder and post-traumatic growth among firefighters.

Latent profile analysis of post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth among firefighters.

Background: Due to the job characteristics, firefighters are repeatedly exposed to trauma incidents. However, not all firefighters exhibit the same level of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or post-traumatic growth (PTG). Despite this, few studies have looked into firefighters' PTSD and PTG.Objective: This study identified subgroups of firefighters based on their PTSD and PTG levels, and investigated the influence of demographic factors and PTSD/PTG-related factors on latent class classification.Method: Latent profile analysis was used to examine the patterns of PTSD and PTG among 483 firefighters in South Korea. Using a cross-sectional design, demographic factors and job factors were examined as group covariates through a three-step approach. PTSD-related factors such as depression and suicide ideation, as well as PTG-related factors such as emotion-based response were analysed as differentiating factors.Results: Four classes were identified and named 'Low PTSD-low PTG (65.2%),' 'Mid PTSD-mid PTG (15.5%),' 'Low PTSD-high PTG (15.3%),' and 'High PTSD-mid PTG (3.9%).' The likelihood of belonging to the group with high trauma-related risks increased with more rotating shift work and years of service. The differentiating factors revealed differences based on the levels of PTSD and PTG in each group.Conclusions: 34.8% of firefighters experienced changes due to traumatic events while on the job, and some required serious attention. Modifiable job characteristics, such as the shift pattern, indirectly affected PTSD and PTG levels. Individual and job factors should be considered together when developing trauma interventions for firefighters.

Firefighters were classified into four groups based on their levels of PTSD and PTG. 65.2% of the participants belonged to the 'Low PTSD-low PTG' group.The shift pattern and years of service predicted the likelihood of group classification.This implies that, despite being frequently exposed to threatening events, not all firefighters experience trauma, and that job characteristics influence trauma-related vulnerabilities.

Prognostic effect of body mass index to mortality in Korean older persons.

AIM: Body mass index (BMI) is regarded as a predictor of life expectancy and a determinant of mortality. However, the effect of age on BMI-related mortality remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to examine the prognostic effect of BMI to mortality risk among Korean older persons. METHODS: Data were collected from the Korean National Health Insurance Services' Senior Cohort database. This study analyzed the data of 79 341 men and 91 298 women aged ≥65 years who underwent health examinations in the 2007 fiscal year. Individual mortality was identified 5 years after 2008. The participants were stratified into seven groups according to basal BMI. Hazard ratios of death were calculated through Cox proportional hazards model after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, exercise, alcohol intake and income. RESULTS: During the 5-year follow up, 11 651 men and 7 235 women died. In both sexes, a lower BMI had a higher hazard ratio (HR), but the trend of increasing HR at high BMI was not clear. For men, the lowest HR was 0.79 (95% CI 0.71-0.87) at a BMI of 27.5-30.0 kg/m2 . For women, the lowest HR was 0.84 (95% CI 0.78-0.91) at a BMI of 25.0-27.5 kg/m2 . For both sexes, the relative mortality risk was associated with a lower BMI. CONCLUSIONS: A high BMI is not associated with increased mortality in older adults aged ≥65 years, whereas a lower BMI is associated with an increased mortality risk in later life in this population. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 538-546.