Effects of the timing of lifestyle behaviors on mental and physical functions in rotating shift workers

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25560365
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Applied health science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: TOGO Fumiharu 東京大学, 教育学研究科(研究院), 准教授 (90455486)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KOMATSU Taiki 東京工科大学, 医療保健学部, 教授 (80436451)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 心身の健康 / 交代制勤務 / 食事 / 睡眠 / 身体活動 / 抑うつ / 概日リズム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the effects of the timing of meal intake, sleep, and physical activity on the diurnal 24-h rhythm of cardiac autonomic nervous system activity assessed by heart rate variability and subjective level of depressive symptoms. We found that later timing of breakfast was associated with a phase delay in cardiac autonomic nervous system activity and higher levels of the depressive symptoms in rotating shift workers. In addition, later timing of meal intake caused phase delay in the sleep-wake cycle and the temporal increase in subjective level of depressive mood. These results indicate the possibility that advancing the timing of meal intake after awakening is one of effective means for preventing a phase delay in the circadian clock and an increase in the depressive symptoms or mood in rotating shift workers.

Free Research Field

教育生理学