Exploring Body Composition and Eating Habits Among Nurses in Poland.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Public Health
• Nutrition Science

Background:

• Demanding work conditions for nurses, including long hours and shift work, negatively affect health behaviors.
• Limited empirical data exists on Polish nurses' eating habits and body composition.
• Nurses' well-being is crucial for effective healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate body composition and dietary habits among Polish nurses.
• To identify associations between body composition, eating behaviors, and working conditions.
• To inform targeted health promotion strategies for nurses.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional observational study of 460 Polish nurses.
• Body composition assessed using Tanita MC-780 PLUS MA analyzer.
• Eating behaviors measured with the My Eating Habits (MEH) questionnaire.
• Advanced statistical analyses including k-means clustering, ANOVA, chi-square, Spearman's correlation, ROC curves, decision tree modeling, and heatmap visualization were employed.

Main Results:

• Nurses exhibited average eating behavior scores.
• Excess body fat, overweight/obesity, shift work, and multiple job holding were linked to problematic eating patterns (emotional overeating, habitual overeating, restrictive eating).
• Body Mass Index (BMI), fat-free mass (FFM), and comorbidities predicted problematic eating patterns.
• Shift work combined with higher BMI exacerbated risks of maladaptive eating behaviors.

Conclusions:

• Workplace interventions promoting healthy eating and weight management are essential for nurses.
• Identifying risk factors like excess weight and multiple job holding is key for designing effective health strategies.
• Tailored prevention and health promotion programs are needed for healthcare professionals.