Night shift work and pregnancy-related diabetes risk

The role of night shift work in metabolic disorders during and after pregnancy

['FUNDING_OTHER'] · MAINEHEALTH · NIH-11177652

Seeing whether working night shifts raises the chance of gestational diabetes and later type 2 diabetes in women who were pregnant.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_OTHER']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorMAINEHEALTH (nih funded)
Locations1 site (PORTLAND, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11177652 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

Researchers will use long-term data from the nationwide Nurses' Health Study cohorts to link night-shift work history with gestational diabetes and later type 2 diabetes. They will combine questionnaire data on work schedules and health with medical outcomes recorded over many years. For a subgroup, stored blood and hair samples will be analyzed to look for biological signs of circadian disruption and metabolic changes. The goal is to learn whether timing of work and sleep around pregnancy affects later diabetes risk.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Women who worked night shifts during pregnancy or who have a history of gestational diabetes are the group most directly connected to this research.

Not a fit: People who were never pregnant or never worked night shifts are unlikely to get direct benefit from this specific work.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If the findings are clear, they could help identify women at higher risk and guide tailored pregnancy and postpartum advice to reduce later type 2 diabetes risk.

How similar studies have performed: Prior research has linked night shift work to higher type 2 diabetes risk, but studies on gestational diabetes are limited and have produced mixed results, so this analysis builds on but does not repeat an established finding.

Where this research is happening

PORTLAND, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Conditions: Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.