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Effects of Daylight Saving Time on Health

Article information

J Korean Med Assoc. 2010;53(2):155-163
Publication date (electronic) : 2010 February 28
doi : https://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2010.53.2.155
Sun Mi Lim1, Yoon Hyung Park, MD1, Kwang Ik Yang, MD2, Ho-Jang Kwon, MD3
1Department of Preventive Medicine, Soonchunhyung University College of Medicine, Korea.
2Department of Neurology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Korea.
3Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Korea.
Corresponding author (parky@sch.ac.kr)

Abstract

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is used worldwide and affects millions of people annually. In the most countries, DST begins turning clocks forward by an hour in the spring and backward by an hour in the fall. transition out of DST in the fall increases the available daylight in the morning by one hour. Springtime transition into DST leads to an increase of the available daylight in the evening. During World War I, in an effort to reduce fuel consumption, Germany and England began to practice DST in 1916. Currently, 77 countries and most of OECD adopted DST except Korea, Japan, Iceland. The rationale for Daylight Saving Time (DST) is bolstered by the fact that it increases daylight hours within which the activity a population reaches its peak. Therefore, the effects of transitions into DST to the public health should be further explored, as DST affects millions of people annually and its impacts are still largely unknown. A general perception is that Turning clock forwards (on spring) or backwards (on fall) by one hour would affect our health. In This study, the association between Daylight Saving Time (DST) and health in population was investigated through theoretical and systemic review studies. Since the study was conducted solely on theoretical grounds, further research is needed to assess additional health-related impacts of Daylight Saving Time (DST) and to carry out more specific analysis on population health in Korea. In conclusion, population health is more strongly affected during spring transition into DST than during fall transition out of DST.

Keywords: Daylight Saving Time (DST); Health; Systemic review

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Article information Continued

Copyright © 2010 Korean Medical Association

Figure 1

Figure 1

Relationship between natural and behavioral light-dark cycles with and without DST; adopted from kantermann, et al.(9)

Table 1

Measures of the rest-activity cycle at baseline and after transition into DST

Table 1

*Abbreviations: SD=standard deviation, IS=intra-daily stability, IV=intra-daily variability, RA=relative amplitude, tau=circadian period.

†Adopted from Lahti, et al.(8)

Table 2

Changes due to transition into DST among short -and long-sleepers

Table 2

*Abbreviations: SD=standard deviation, IS=intra- daily stability, IV=intra-daily variability, RA= relative amplitude, tau=circadian period.

†Adopted from Lahti, et al.(8)