Research on causality and neurobehavioral mechanisms in the association between internal desynchronization caused by rotating shift work and mental and physical health problems

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H03175
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59040:Nutrition science and health science-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Fumiharu Togo 東京大学, 大学院教育学研究科(教育学部), 教授 (90455486)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 石渡 貴之 立教大学, コミュニティ福祉学部, 教授 (40435235) ; 吉崎 貴大 東洋大学, 食環境科学部, 准教授 (50732830) ; 小松 泰喜 日本大学, スポーツ科学部, 教授 (80436451) ; 緒形 ひとみ 広島大学, 人間社会科学研究科(総), 准教授 (80455930)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 交代制勤務 / 心身の健康 / 睡眠 / 栄養 / 概日リズム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We found that morningness/eveningness or circadian rhythms were associated with habitual breakfast skipping in rotating-shift workers, and that this leads to unfavorable diet quality and may explain in part the differences in diet quality between rotating-shift workers and day-shift workers. In addition, shifts in sleep timing due to social factors were associated with the unfavorable diet quality which was identified in rotating-shift workers. Furthermore, it was suggested that these associations may involve executive and inhibitory functions, as well as neurotransmitters in the hippocampus and suprachiasmatic nucleus.

Free Research Field

応用健康科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

交代制勤務者では、夜型指向性は食の嗜好性、食事内容、睡眠の変容、抑うつレベルの増大と関連することから、夜勤への適応不全というよりも、夜勤時から日勤時への勤務（覚醒）時間帯の急激な変化にともなう内的脱同調が食事と睡眠の変容、心身の健康問題を生じうる要因である可能性がある。本研究は、その神経行動学的メカニズムの一端を明らかにした点で学術的意義がある。また、本研究の成果は、交代制勤務者の心身の健康問題の対応策の構築に対して貢献しうる点で社会的疑義がある。