Washington, Jan 15: Women working in shifts are more likely to be given enforced early retirement as compared to men in shift work, cited a new research.

The findings were based on less than 8000 male and female employees, who were part of a large health and work study (Danish Work Environment Cohort Study), which began in 1990, including data from the national welfare register.

Participants in the Cohort Study were formally interviewed about their workplace, work patterns, health, and lifestyle. The researchers monitored these participants until the age of 60, death, emigration, or the end of the study in June 2006, whichever came first.

It was discovered that 253 out of the 3980 women participants in the study, had been forced to retire early owing to ill health and had been granted a disability pension by June 2006. However, in similar conditions, only 173 out of the 4025 men had been granted a disability pension by this time.

It was found that women were more likely than men to require a disability pension when factors likely to influence the results, such as lifestyle, including smoking, the workplace environment, and socioeconomic status; were adjusted,

And if they were working in shifts, they were more likely to do the same. However, male shift workers were no more likely to have to retire earlier than other employees.

Though this study did not examine the reasons for enforced early retirement, but shift work has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, breast cancer, peptic ulcer, sleep disturbance, complications of pregnancy and accidents.

Even the authors are not sure why women should be more vulnerable. (ANI)