Job strain is prospectively associated with a lower frequency of fruit consumption in schoolteachers

The current study aimed to analyse the prospective association between perceived work demand and changes in eating behaviours in schoolteachers.

This was a prospective cohort study with self-reported information obtained on the Demand Control Support Questionnaire and eating behaviours at baseline and after a 2-year follow-up. The analyses were performed using mixed-effects models adjusted for the main confounders.

The setting consisted of elementary and secondary schools located in a large city in southern Brazil.

The participants were 502 schoolteachers (65·9 % females, median age of 42·7 years [interquartile range 34·2, 49·4]).

A total of 39·2 % of the schoolteachers were classified at baseline with job strain, 28·9 % with passive job, 12·2 % with active job and 19·7 % with low-strain job. In the fully adjusted models, compared with teachers who reported low-strain job, those with higher levels of job strain were more likely to reduce (coefficient = 0·064; 95 % CI 0·018, 0·109) and less likely to increase (coefficient = -0·066; 95 % CI -0·115, -0·016) their frequency of fruit consumption regardless of sociodemographic, lifestyle, health conditions and social support at work.

Job strain plays a relevant role in the frequency of fruit consumption over time in schoolteachers. The balance between demand and control at work must be considered in strategies for promoting healthy eating despite perceived social support.