Swift study

Shifting weight in night shift workers

About SWIFt

Do you work at night and want to lose weight?

You’re invited to be part of a world-first study trialling weight loss interventions in night shift workers.

Shift workers, like yourself, are an essential part of our economy and community. In fact, almost 1 in 5 employed Australians are shift workers. But unfortunately, the nature of your work also puts you at a greater risk of weight gain, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. With the challenge of irregular sleeping and eating patterns, this makes traditional weight loss plans hard to follow.

To help combat this issue, we are looking at diet plans that are flexible to the demands of working night shifts. Our SWIFt study will explore these diet plans as a solution to helping shift workers lose weight and live healthier lives.

SWIFt is funded by the National Health and Research Council (NHMRC) and is a joint partnership between Monash University and the University of South Australia.

A partnership with:

What's involved?

SWIFt is focused on finding a suitable diet plan for weight loss in shift workers like yourself, who have little choice but to eat and work at night.

If you meet our eligibility criteria, you will:

be given a dietary weight loss program to follow for six months
after this period, follow a one-year weight maintenance program
consult with a dietitian 13 times over 18 months
have your blood glucose levels, insulin and fats measured, and your body measurements taken throughout the study

During this time, some of your meals will be provided. You’ll also be given a $100 petrol voucher for your time.

^{Approved by the Monash Health Human Research Ethics Committee.}

Monash Health HREC Ref: RES-19-0000-462A
University of Sth Australia HREC ID 202379

How will I benefit?

As a night shift worker, you are at a higher risk of weight gain and chronic diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. By volunteering for this study, you’re helping our researchers find a suitable diet plan that meets the needs of night shift workers. The outcomes of SWIFt could result in new dietary recommendations that improve the health of night shift workers throughout Australia – and you’ll be playing a key role in helping us get there.

Your individual results from SWIFt may also give you a greater understanding of your own health and empower you to make informed decisions in the future.

Am I Eligible?

Do you work at least 4 night shifts every 2 weeks?

Night shift workers across all industries are invited to participate in SWIFt, including:

Aviation and airport operations
Construction
Emergency response
Health and welfare
Hospitality
Security
Transport
And many more

If you have a serious health condition (such as type 1 diabetes), are taking certain medications, or are pregnant, you might not be eligible to participate. Read our eligibility criteria for any restrictions.

Interested in participating in SWIFt? Please complete our 5-minute questionnaire so we can assess if you’re the right candidate for this study. We’ll be in touch soon.

Meet a participant

Experience with the study

Wondering what it's like to join the SWIFt Study? Leanne, nurse & a participant of SWIFt, discusses her experience so far.
Why nurse Leanne joined the study

Leanne, nurse & a participant of the SWIFt Study, shares why she signed up for the study and how the study has so far helped her health.
The challenges of shift work & food

Balancing a healthy diet can be challenging, and even more difficult as a night shift worker. Leanne, nurse & participant of SWIFt Study shares her experience of shift work and food with us, and why the SWIFt study is so important.