Meta‑analysis: Night‑Shift Work and Type 2 Diabetes Incidence
Summary
This cohort-based meta-analysis (9 papers, 10 cohorts; >235k participants) found that night-shift workers had about a 30% higher incidence of type 2 diabetes than day workers (HR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.18–1.43). The association was clear in women (HR = 1.28) and not statistically significant in men (wide CI, smaller samples). Risk appeared greater with higher BMI (significant for BMI > 30 kg/m²; not significant for ≤30 kg/m²) and rose with longer exposure (>5–10 years of night shifts showed higher risk than shorter durations). Findings were similar across medical and non-medical jobs and across regions.
Why It Matters For Night Shift Workers and Night Owls
The analysis ties working nights to a meaningful, time-dependent increase in diabetes risk, with stronger signals in women and in people with obesity. It spotlights schedule exposure itself—not just lifestyle—as a contributor to diabetes risk in large real-world cohorts.
Notes
PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39696306/