ABSTRACT
Shift work, in particular that including night work, is a well known risk factor for health and well-being, as it interferes with biological rhythms and social relations, with consequent negative influence on work performance, family and social life, and health. The impact of shift and night work on health and well-being shows a high interand intraindividual variability, both in terms of types of problems and temporal occurrence, related to various combinations among several intervening factors dealing with different domains: individual characteristics, lifestyles, work demands, company organization, family relations and social conditions. Consequently, different parameters and criteria can be used to evaluate shiftworkers’ health and well-being, starting from biological rhythms and physiological adjustments, and ending in severe health disorders, passing through psychological strain, job dissatisfaction, family perturbation, and social disadaptation, both in the short and long term (see the chapter Shift Work Health Consequences).
