The Association Between Shift Work and the Incidence of Hospital-Treated Infections: Evaluating the Impact of Lifestyle Factors
By
Ying Zhou
Yan Chen
Minzhi Xu
Hongyu Yan
Xiaoxv Yin
March 10, 2026
Clinical Scorecard: The Association Between Shift Work and the Incidence of Hospital-Treated Infections: Evaluating the Impact of Lifestyle Factors
At a Glance
Category Detail
Condition Hospital-treated infections Key Mechanisms Circadian disruption and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors Target Population Shift workers in the UK Care Setting Hospital inpatient care
Key Highlights
Shift work is linked to increased risk of hospital-treated infections. Unhealthy lifestyle factors may mediate the relationship between shift work and infection risk. The study utilized data from over 266,000 participants in the UK Biobank. Guideline-Based Recommendations
Diagnosis
Assess hospital-treated infections through inpatient records. Management
Implement workplace health interventions targeting shift workers. Monitoring & Follow-up
Regularly evaluate lifestyle factors among shift workers. Risks
Increased susceptibility to infections due to circadian disruption. Patient & Prescribing Data
Shift workers with potential lifestyle-related health issues.
Focus on lifestyle modifications to reduce infection risk.
Clinical Best Practices
Encourage healthy lifestyle choices among shift workers. Monitor the health of shift workers regularly for early intervention. References