Shift workers more likely to report poor health

"Higher rates of obesity and ill-health have been found in shift workers than the general population," BBC News reports. These are the key findings of a survey into health trends among shift workers; defined as any working pattern outside of the normal fixed eight-hour working day (though start and finish times may vary). According to the survey (The Health Survey for England 2013), shift workers were more likely to report general ill-health, have a higher body mass index (BMI) and increased incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes. The Health Survey for England 2013 also monitored other trends in the nation’s health, including people’s weight, smoking habits, fruit and vegetable consumption, and prescribing patterns for drugs (a story we covered earlier this month).    Who produced the data? The report was produced by the Health & Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), the official provider of national health and social care statistics. The HSCIC was set up by the government in April 2013. Its role is to provide information on a range of issues concerning health for use by commissioners, analysts and clinicians in driving patient services. In the interests of transparency we should point out that the Behind the Headlines team, along with all NHS Choices staff, is employed by the HSCIC. The HSCIC produces an annual Health Survey for England that monitors important aspects of the population’s health.   How was the data collected? The data comes ...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Food/diet Obesity Special reports Source Type: news