Shift work is known to cause changes in the circadian rhythm of the human body and adversely affect not only physical health but also mental health. Some studies have demonstrated the correlation between shift work and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), a hormone that changes according to the diurnal rhythm, but few studies have reported the different TSH levels according to the shift work type. This study aimed to investigate changes in TSH according to the shift work type.

This study included 1,318 female workers who had a medical checkup at a university hospital in Changwon from 2015 to 2019. Shift work types were classified as non-shift work, regular 2 shifts, and irregular three shifts, and a TSH ≥ 4.2 mIU/L was defined as abnormal. A general linear model (GLM) was used to compare the TSH levels and the risk of subclinical hypothyroidism in each year, and a binary logistic analysis was performed using a generalized estimation equation (GEE) to compare the risk of subclinical hypothyroidism over the 5-year period.

Of the 1,318 participants included in this study, 363, 711, and 244 were non-shift, two-shift, and irregular three-shift workers, respectively. In the GEE analysis, after adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking, and alcohol consumption, the odds ratios (ORs) were 1.81 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15–2.86; p = 0.011) in 2 shifts and 2.02 (95% CI: 1.23–3.32; p = 0.006) in irregular three shifts, compared to non-shift.

Our results showed that shift work had a higher risk of subclinical hypothyroidism than non-shift work and that there was a significant difference in the risk of subclinical hypothyroidism according to the shift work type. These findings suggest that the shift work type can be considered in future thyroid function tests and evaluations.