Effect of oral glucose consumption on cortisol level of night-work nurses

The stress of workplace and night shift is associated with changes in serum cortisol levels that can cause physical and mental disorders in nurses. Considering the importance of nurse health and patient safety, this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of oral glucose intake on cortisol levels in night-shift nurses.

In this experimental study done in 2011, 60 male nurses of two educational hospitals in Tehran were selected by purposive sampling method and were divided into two groups. Cortisol and blood glucose concentration were measured in both groups at 4 a.m. Afterward, the case group received 75gr of oral glucose dissolved in 250ml of water in syrup form and the control group received just the same volume of water. Again the blood glucose and cortisol concentrations were measured in both groups after an hour with glucometer and ELISA test. Data were analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, independent and paired T-test and Pearson correlation test by SPSS 15 software.

Plasma cortisol concentrations in both case and control groups reduced an hour after glucose intake. Although cortisol levels were different in both groups after the intervention, the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05).

Although blood glucose level is effective on body cortisol secretion cycle, no significant correlation exists between the intake of glucose-rich meals at the end of a night-shift and reduction of cortisol concentrations.