Your work schedule as a young adult may harm your health decades later, study finds – CTV
April 10, 2024
The immediate cons of an erratic work schedule are clear-cut: You may be tired all the time or missing out on time with loved ones.
More dire long-term consequences may also be at play, according to new research on the associations between work patterns in young adulthood and health outcomes later in life.
Multiple studies have shown how irregular work hours can harm overall health and social life, but the new paper views the relationship through a “life-course” approach, observing how work patterns affect health throughout adulthood instead of one point in time.
The new report, published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE, defined a standard work schedule as beginning at 6 a.m. or later and ending at 6 p.m. An evening work schedule meant starting at 2 p.m. or later until midnight, while nighttime schedules were shifts starting at 9 p.m. or later and ending by 8 a.m. Participants had “variable” schedules if they had split or rotating shifts or irregular hours.
