A survey of plasma blood glucose concentration and related factors in nightwork nursing personnel

Night shift work might be a risk factor for metabolic disorders due to interference with diet, circadian rhythms and lifstyle. One way in which metabolic risk could be increased is through inappropariate hormonal and some metabolic responses to night shift. We conducted this study to examin plasma glucose concentration and the related factors in night shift nurses. Participants were 60 nurses working in different section of Damghan Hospital who were randomly selected. Their level of glucose concentration was measured by glucose oxidas method while they were working around 4-5 pm. The test was repeated for three times at one-month intervals. Statistical methods of T-test, Repeated Measurment and Pearson Correlation Coefficient were employed to investigate the relationship between glucose concentration and age, gender, weight, length of service and number of night shifts per month. The results showed that the mean blood glucose concentration of nurses at the first time was 82.68 mg/dl, at the second time 82.12 mg/dl and at the thired time 83.75 mg/dl. there were no significant relationship between the blood glucose concentration range and age, gender, weight, years of service and number of night shifts per month. mean of blood glucose concetration in night shifts nurses was low and lack of its significan relationship with other factors shows that all nurses regardless of their conditions suffere from low glucose concentration. Therefore it is concluded that there is a need for more attention to nurse's nutrition to increase blood glucose concetration in night shift nurses.