Night Shift Work and Biomarkers of Obesity Risk in Hospital and Industry Workers

Inclusion Criteria shift worker * Health care sector or industrial shift worker * Employed or self-employed * 21 years or older * ≥ 24 h/ week * Shift work duration \> 3 years and currently doing night shifts * 4 or more rotating night shifts/month (night shift defined as a work schedule that involves working at least 3 hours between 00:00 and 5:00), at least 2 consecutive nights/month Inclusion criteria controls * Health care sector or industrial work * Employed or self-employed * 21 years or older * ≥ 24 h/ week * No night shift or rotating shift work in the last 5 years * No history of night shift or rotating shift work for more than 5 years Exclusion Criteria shift worker and controls: * Pregnancy * Lactation period * BMI of 40 kg/m2 or above * Present treatment of a disease e.g. cancer radio- or chemotherapy * Chronic diseases if in an ongoing therapy but not after a remission (renal failure, active hepatitis, cirrhosis, myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer) * Immunodeficiency syndrome, any auto-immune or auto-inflammatory diseases (e.g. type-1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis) and acute episodes of atopic diseases (atopic dermatitis, asthma, type 1 allergies such as hay fever) * Bariatric surgery * Antibiotics in the last month