Snacking among shiftwork nurses related to non-optimal dietary intake.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Nutrition Science
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Shift work is prevalent among nurses, potentially impacting their dietary patterns and health.
• Previous research on shift work and eating behaviors has yielded inconclusive results regarding specific shift associations.
• Understanding non-optimal eating behaviors in nurses is vital for developing targeted health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare nurses' eating behaviors across different work shifts (day, evening, night).
• To investigate the relationship between non-day shifts and deviations from optimal dietary practices.
• To examine the association between non-optimal eating behaviors and macronutrient intake.

Main Methods:

• A 4-day intensive longitudinal study involving 120 hospital nurses in Taiwan.
• Dietary intake assessed using 24-hour dietary recalls.
• Statistical analyses included one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and generalized linear regressions.

Main Results:

• Nurses on evening and night shifts consumed less overall energy but snacked more frequently than day shift nurses.
• Non-day shift nurses had fewer meals and higher snacking frequency.
• Increased snacking was positively associated with higher saturated fat intake.

Conclusions:

• Nurses working non-day shifts are more prone to non-optimal eating behaviors, including increased snacking and saturated fat consumption.
• These dietary patterns may elevate the risk of chronic diseases among shift-working nurses.
• Interventions promoting healthy food availability and choices for non-day shifts are recommended to improve nurses' health outcomes.