Actively Recruiting
Night Shift Work and Biomarkers of Obesity Risk in Hospital and Industry Workers
Led by University of Vienna · Updated on 2025-09-08
1000
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
217 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
U
University of Vienna
Lead Sponsor
M
Medical University of Vienna
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Shift work is a well-known risk factor for the development of overweight and obesity, which may lead to downstream effects such as increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases and cancer. However, the biological and behavioral mechanisms underlying the obesogenicity of night shift work are not well understood. Population-based mechanistic studies in real life shift workers are needed to address how night shift work impacts metabolic health. The investigators aim to characterize the behavioural, environmental, and biological mechanisms and pathways for the association of night shift work and obesity across Europe. The investigators will conduct a cross sectional study in 5 European countries (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands and Poland) and recruit 1000 rotating night shift workers and day workers (200/country) from the health sector and different industries. Night and day workers will be age-frequency (3 age groups), gender and (where possible) working tasks matched. Participants will complete online questionnaires and report their diet habits in a mobile app. Body composition, dietary behavior and sensory preferences will be tested. Biologic specimens (blood, urine, saliva, hair and feces) will be collected at the workplace on a day where participants are working on a day shift (or a day off). In a subsample (Austria and Netherlands) shift workers will provide biological samples (spot blood, urine and saliva) both on a day shift and on a night shift. Biomarkers including hormones, cellular immunity and inflammation, parameters linked to gut health and metabolism of fat and sugar, appetite, oxidative stress, metabolomics and microbiota will be measured. The investigators hypothesize that compared to day workers, night shift workers will experience disrupted levels of pre-obesity markers. Higher circadian disruption, sleep disruption and mistimed eating patterns workers will be associated with more disrupted biomarker profiles. Among rotating shift workers, night shift will be associated with acute disrupted melatonin production, metabolomic profiles and composition of oral microbiota compared to a day shift.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Night Shift Work and Biomarkers of Obesity Risk in Hospital and Industry Workers
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Health care sector or industrial shift worker or day worker
- Employed or self-employed
- 21 years or older
- Working at least 24 hours per week
- For shift workers: currently doing night shifts with 4 or more rotating night shifts per month (at least 2 consecutive nights) and shift work duration over 3 years
- For controls: no night or rotating shift work in the last 5 years and no history of night or rotating shift work longer than 5 years
You will not qualify if you...
- Pregnancy or lactation
- Body mass index (BMI) of 40 kg/m2 or above
- Current treatment for diseases such as cancer (radio- or chemotherapy)
- Chronic diseases under ongoing therapy (e.g., renal failure, active hepatitis, cirrhosis, myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer)
- Immunodeficiency syndrome, autoimmune or auto-inflammatory diseases (e.g., type-1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis), or acute episodes of atopic diseases (atopic dermatitis, asthma, type 1 allergies such as hay fever)
- History of bariatric surgery
- Use of antibiotics in the last month
AI-Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Medical University of Vienna
Vienna, State of Vienna, Austria, 1090
Actively Recruiting
How is the study designed?
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Masking
N/A
Allocation
N/A
Model
N/A
Primary Purpose
N/A
Number of Arms
2
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