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. 2022 Nov 23;10:1034195. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1034195

Table 1.

Main results of systematic reviews focused on the link between shift work and diabetes.

References, Country Type-Shift work (n) Assessment of
outcomes (n)
Confounding factors (n) Main results shift work vs. day work (n)
Wang et al. (16), UK Rotating (4)
Unspecified (2)
Type 2 diabetes (1) Diabetes mellitus (5)
Diabetes death certificate (1)
FPG or patient under treatment (1)
MD (4)
NA (1)
Adjustments (5)
Rotating: HR = 1.67 (0.57–4.90) (♂ 1); Rotating 2-shift RR = 1.73 (0.85–3.52)/Rotating 3-shift RR = 1.33 (0.74–2.36) (♂ 1)
Shift work: Age groups (♂ 1); (30–39 yo) OR = 6.75 (1.31–56.1); (40–49 yo) OR = 1.22 (0.68–2.10); (50–59 yo) OR = 0.93 (0.53–1.55)
Shift work: diabetes mortality: per year β × 10−5 = 4.14 (2.46–5.81) (♂ 1)
Exposure duration: Rotating night ≥10 years adjusted for age: RR = 1.64 (1.11–2.37); multiple adjustment including BMI: RR = 0.98 (0.66–1.45) (♀ 1)
Esquirol et al. (12), France Permanent Night (3)
Rotating (21)
Unspecified (2)
Evening (1)
Type 2 Diabetes (1) Diabetes mellitus (23)
Glycaemia (11)
HbA1c (8)
FPG (2)
OGTT (2)
RPG (1)
Self-reported (1)
Unknown (2)
NA(11)
Adjustments (13)
Longitudinal studies: significant effect (7):
Shift work: OR = 1.56 (1.18–2.05) (1); OR = 1.35 (1.05–1.75) (1)
Shift work duration ♂: age > 50 yo and 19–32 years exposure: 5% increase of risk (1)
Shift work: Glycaemia>110 mg/dL = 5.1% vs. 3.8% for DW (1)
Cross-Sectional studies: significant effect (4):
Night shift: OR = 1.7 (0.8–3.6) (1); 2-shift: OR = 2.5 (1.1–4.3) (1)
Longitudinal studies non-significant effect (13)
Knutsson and Kempe (13), Sweden Rotating (5) Type 2 diabetes (5)
Type 1 diabetes (1)
OGTT (1)
Death certificate (1)
Self-reported (1)
HbA1c (2)
NA(1)
Adjustments (4)
Rotating ♂: HR = 1.67 (0.59–4.90) (1); SRR = 1.24 (0.91–1.70)/SRR = 2.29 (0.97–5.40) (1) OR = 1.35 (1.05–1.75) (1)
2-shift ♂: RR = 1.73 (0.85–3.52) (1); 3-shift ♂: RR = 1.33 (0.74–2.36) (1)
Rotating duration ♂: 10–19/20–29/≥30 years: SRR = 1.41 (0.18–11.30)/1.92 (0.5– 7.32)/2.85 (1.15–7.08) (1)
Rotating duration ♀: 1–2/3–9/10–19/≥ 20 years: HR = 1.03 (0.98–1.08)/1.06 (1.01–1.11)/1.10 (1.02–1.18)/1.24 (1.13–1.37) (1)
Rotating ♀: HR per 5 years = 1.05 (1.04–1.06) (1)
Gan et al. (18), China
Meta-analysis
Night shift (3)
Rotating (3 × 8) (4)
Mixed rotating (2 × 8/3 × 8) (2)
Unspecified (2)
Type 2 diabetes (4) Diabetes mellitus (7)
Diabetes death certificate (1)
Self-reported or medical/register report (10)
FPG (2)
HbA1c (2)
NA (1)
Adjustments (11)
Shift work: RR = 1.08 (1.05–1.12), I2 40.9% (corrected for publication bias) (11)
Night shift: OR = 1.09 (1.04–1.14), I2 37.6% (3)
Rotating shift: OR = 1.42 (1.19–1.69), I2 13.4% (4)
Subgroup analyses
Shift work: cohort studies OR = 1.12 (1.06–1.19), I2 52.9%/cross-sectional studies OR = 1.06 (1.03–1.09), I2 10.9%
Shift work: OR = 1.09 (1.04–1.14) for ♀, I2 54.3%/OR = 1.37 (1.20–1.56) for ♂, I2 0.0%
Proper et al. (14), Netherlands Permanent Night (1)
Rotating (8)
Type 2 diabetes (2)
Diabetes mellitus (7)
Glycaemia (4)
OGTT (1)
RPG (1)
FPG (1)
HbA1c (4)
NA (2)
Adjutments (7)
Shift work: High FPG: age (25–29 yo) 32.9 vs. 23.1%; NS for other age classes (1)
HbA1c OR = 1.35 (1.05–1.75) (1)
Shift work: ♂ Positive relation with HbA1c; ♀ NS (1)
Shift work: no association with FPG (2)
Rotating: OR = 1.56 (1.18–2.05) (1)
Rotating 3-shift: OR = 2.62 (2.17–3.17); Rotating 2-shift: OR = 1.78 (1.49–2.14) (1)
Rotating 3-shift: RR = 1.33 (0.74–2.36); Rotating 2-shift: RR = 1.73 (0.85–3.52) (1)
Shift duration: OR per 10 years = 1.05 (1.01–1.09) (1)
Anothaisintawee et al. (17), Thailand
Meta-analysis
Rotating (5)
Unspecified (6)
Type 2 Diabetes (4)
Diabetes mellitus (7)
FPG (4), HbA1c (3)
OGTT (2)
Self-reported (4)
Medical diagnosis or treatment (6)
Adjustments (8)
Unspecified (2)
Shift work: RR = 1.40 (1.18–1.66), I2 95% (11); adjusted for BMI, other covariates RR = 1.15 (1.08–1.22) (8)
Rotating: RR = 1.60 (1.20–2.14), I2 97.3% (5); adjusted for BMI, other covariates RR = 1.15 (1.06–1.25) (5)
Li et al. (20), China
Meta-analysis
Permanent night (4)
Evening (4)
Rotating (5)
Unspecified (3)
Type 2 diabetes (2)
Diabetes mellitus (10)
Diabetes death certificate
Self-reported or medical/register report
HbA1c
Adjustment (12) Shift work: RR = 1.12 (1.07–1.17), I2 38.9% (corrected for publication bias) (12)
Night/Evening shift: RR = 1.19 (1.09–1.30), I2 52.2% (4)
Rotating shift RR = 1.11 (1.06–1.16), I2 48.2% (5)
Dose-response analyses: Shift work: RR = 1.07 (1.04–1.09), I2 0% per 5-year exposure (2, ♀)
Subgroups analyses:
Shift work: RR = 1.21 (1.08–1.17) for ♀, I2 46.9%/RR = 1.28 (1.16–1.42) for ♂ (1)
Shift work: RR = 1.13 (1.07–1.19) for follow-up ≥10 years, I2 49.5%/RR = 1.17 (1.10–1.24) for follow-up < 10 years (1)
Rosa et al. (15), Italy Night shift (1) Type 2 diabetes
Register (1)
MD Night shift: HR = 1.58 (1.25–1.99) (1)
Gao et al. (19), China
Meta-analysis
Night shift (10)
Rotating (4)
Evening (2)
Unspecified (5)
Type 2 Diabetes (21)
FPG
HbA1c
OGTT
Random plasma glucose
NA (4)
Adjustments (17)
Shift work: RR = 1.10 (1.05–1.14), I2 37.2% (21)
Night shift: RR = 1.15 (1.08–1.24), I2 60.7% (10)
Rotating: RR = 1.08 (1.04–1.12), I2 0% (4)
Dose-response analyses (3, ♀):
RR = 1.05 (1.03–1.07) per 5-year exposure of shift work; RR = 1.17 (1.11–1.24) for 15 years of shift work

(n), number of studies concerned; SW, shift work; FPG, Fasting plasma glucose; OGTT, Oral Glucose Tolerance Test; RPG, Random-plasma glucose; HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin MD, Missing Data; NA, non Adjusted.