In addition, shiftwork for women is 1) bad for the heart, 2) promotes poor mental health, 3) increases stress, 4) increases mood swings, and 5) causes more severe migraines. The list goes on.
There is undoubtedly truth to these assertions, and a multitude of studies back them up. But absorbing this information on its face value does little to assist women who already are immersed in shiftwork professions. What is needed is system that puts the data in true perspective along with practical advice for women managing a shiftwork environment in the midst of managing her life.
To that end, we begin with a discussion of Dr. Davis' results and what it truly means for shiftworking women. We discussed the link between melatonin levels and breast cancer in our article entitled, "Shiftwork and Breast Cancer, the Melatonin Connection." In that article we explained how more exposure to light causes estrogen levels to increase in women, and that increased estrogen production has been linked to greater incidences of breast cancer.
This is important research, and it is hoped that further investigations shed additional light on the subject (no pun intended). But this study is far from a definitive discourse on the plight of shiftworking women. Dr. Davis explains his aims, "Most important from a research point of view is to focus on the general notion that anything that disrupts the normal circadian biology of the body might affect hormones that influence cancer risk."
Would it then be fair to conclude that many factors such as stress, monthly cycles, menopausal phases, pregnancy, and yes, sleep levels and duration may also affect hormones in a way that can lead to cancer?
Many women, including women shiftworkers, must constantly battle the stress of balancing the demands of work and family. Perhaps there's not much we can do about that situation, but should women also be looking at stress-reduction as a desirable outcome? It seems to me that limiting shiftwork itself may be the stress reducer that is warranted.
If one examines the effects of shiftwork in general, it may be reasonable to conclude that almost all of them are more severe in women. Women seem to be more vulnerable to shiftwork than men because they are more prone to changes in their hormonal systems, and these very systems have the potential to "turn" on them in disastrous ways. For instance, Professor Giovanni Costa of the University of Verona warns that "shiftwork can lead to spontaneous abortion." Another study suggests that when a woman is already in a risky pregnancy, shiftwork should be avoided if at all possible.
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