Age Differences in the Adjustment to Shiftwork

Abstract

Due to the aging U.S. workforce and the increase in the percentage of shiftworkers in the workforce, an understanding of the effects of shiftwork on older employees is considered important to the U.S. Bureau of Mines. As part of a larger study on shiftwork by the Bureau of Mines, survey data were obtained from 295 rotating shiftworkers. The workers were categorized into three age groups with means of: 27.4, n=76; 36.4, n=177; and 49.3, n=42. ANOVAs revealed that older workers reported greater frequency of 6 out of 23 physical symptoms than younger workers. Older workers also reported themselves to be more “morning” type than younger workers, which may help explain some of the Age by Shift differences. MANOVAs were used to determine Age by Shift interactions of sleeping habits, stress, and physical symptoms. Though most of the workers have problems with the night shift, the older worker seemed to have more trouble adjusting to it, and also the afternoon shift, than the younger worker. For the most part, however, the older worker seemed to adjust to the day shift as well if not better than the younger worker.