<p>ABSTRACT</p><p>Background:</p><p>To work irregular hours, so called shift work, involves a greater risk to develop bad health compared to work daytime. The society today requires availability 24-hours per day which makes shiftwork necessary. We have to find a way to make shift working people remain at a good health.</p><p>Purpose:</p><p>The purpose of this study was to examine the self estimated health of shift workers. This study concerns significant differences between self estimated health and: main reason for shiftwork, possibility to decide what to do at work and possibility to decide how to perform work tasks.</p><p>Method:</p><p>A cross sectional study was performed in four companies in industrial manufacturing, printing business and service business in the community of Örebro. 113 questionnaires were delivered and 71 persons filled the questionnaires and returned them, the reply fervency were 65 %.</p><p>Results:</p><p>In this population almost 80 % of the participants declared their health good, very good or excellent and no one declared their health as poor. No significant differences was found between self estimated health and: main reason for shiftwork, possibility to decide what to do at work and possibility to decide how to perform work tasks.</p><p>Keywords: Shift work, self estimated health, Effort-control, Effort-reward, SOC.</p>

ABSTRACT Background: To work irregular hours, so called shift work, involves a greater risk to develop bad health compared to work daytime. The society today requires availability 24-hours per day which makes shiftwork necessary. We have to find a way to make shift working people remain at a good health. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the self estimated health of shift workers. This study concerns significant differences between self estimated health and: main reason for shiftwork, possibility to decide what to do at work and possibility to decide how to perform work tasks. Method: A cross sectional study was performed in four companies in industrial manufacturing, printing business and service business in the community of Örebro. 113 questionnaires were delivered and 71 persons filled the questionnaires and returned them, the reply fervency were 65 %. Results: In this population almost 80 % of the participants declared their health good, very good or excellent and no one declared their health as poor. No significant differences was found between self estimated health and: main reason for shiftwork, possibility to decide what to do at work and possibility to decide how to perform work tasks. Keywords: Shift work, self estimated health, Effort-control, Effort-reward, SOC.