Some of the women most committed to delivering health care to others may be putting their own health at risk.
That's what a former nurse found in a recent study. Dr. Joan Tranmer studied 227 women from ages 22 to 66 at two Ontario hospitals.
The results?
Women working night shifts may be at risk for heart disease. It's not just nurses, though. The findings also apply to lab technicians and
administrative staff who work rotating shifts, says an HPNonline.com article.
The study found that about one middle-aged woman in five doing shift work has at least three heart disease risk indicators.
Tranmer looked at these five risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome:
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Abdominal obesity (elevated waist circumference)
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High blood pressure
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Elevated blood glucose
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Elevated triglycerides
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Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ("good cholesterol")
Of the women participating in the study:
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17 percent had metabolic syndrome with at least three indicators
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38 percent had high blood pressure
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60 percent had a waist circumference larger than 80 centimeters (31.5 inches)
Women were more likely to have metabolic syndrome if they:
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Were older than 45
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Had reached menopause
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Did shift work for more than six years and
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Currently worked either 12-hour or rotational shifts.
Tramner said it's not clear how shift work contributes to the risk factors.
"It is possible that the disruption of biological rhythms, sleeping, eating, and exercise patterns may be factors," she says.
So, what are some healthy places to work?
A Shine.Yahoo.com article lists these places where
employees "never need to choose between work and wellness."
Shine looked for places that provide access, incentives and subsidies to help female employees "exercise, eat right, and get the preventive care they
need."
These eight companies "also provide strategies for making women's work/life balance more manageable," Shine says.
Check out this benefit for new moms at Google. They "get 12 fully paid weeks off (up to 18 if they've worked there more than a year) and free lactation
consultations, and—wait for it—they can expense $500 of take-out meals during the first few months of parenthood."
Wow, wouldn't that make life more manageable!
Here's the list of companies—but none of them are in health care:
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Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Watertown, Mass.
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Zappos, Henderson, Nev.
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Progressive Insurance, Cleveland, Ohio
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SAS, Cary, N.C.
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Hasbro, Pawtucket, R.I.
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Clif Bar & Company, Emeryville, Calif.
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Standard Process Inc., Palmyra, Wis.
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Google, Mountain View, Calif.
What does your organization do to help its employees have a healthy work/life balance?