Socioeconomic determinants of shift work employment in Canada and the Netherlands: a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and the Hoorn Study

Background Shift work is known to be a risk factor for metabolic diseases. Although not established within literature, socioeconomic disadvantage may be associated with increased risk of being engaged in these shift work patterns. Aim To examine whether socioeconomic factors are associated with the likelihood of engaging in shift work. Methods Using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of adults aged 45–85 years. We created a Social Disadvantage Score composed of points derived from immigration status, language, education and race, ranging from 0 to 6. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between social disadvantage and shift work, while adjusting for relevant covariates. We performed similar analyses using data from the Hoorn Study in the Netherlands—focused on the association between educational attainment and shift work. Results Of 18,393 adults employed in the CLSA at baseline, 16.6% reported currently working in a shift work scheduled job. Odds of shift work employment increased progressively with Social Disadvantage Score. Individuals with the highest scores (4+) had 3.25 times the odds (95% CI: 2.24–4.72) of being employed in shift work compared to those with a score of 0. Of 709 adults in the Hoorn Study, 11.4% worked in shift work patterns. Lower education was associated with shift work employment (OR 1.74, 95% CI: 1.1–2.9). Conclusions Social disadvantage is strongly associated with shift work in Canada, and in the Netherlands, lower education is associated with shift work.