Chronotype and its association with eating behaviour and psychosocial well-being in shift workers: A systematic...

Shift work is increasingly common in modern societies but is strongly associated with misalignments of natural circadian rhythms, which may negatively impact dietary behaviour and psychosocial well-being. Chronotype, an individual's natural sleep-wake preference, influences adaptation to shift work and its associated lifestyle challenges. This systematic review aimed to examine the relationship between chronotype on both eating behaviour and psychosocial well-being among shift workers. A systematic search was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Literature searches were performed in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Cochrane from database inception until April 2026. Eligible studies included research involving adult shift workers reporting on chronotype in relation to eating behaviour and psychosocial aspects. Quality appraisal was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tools. Twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising primarily nurses and healthcare workers, with additional representation from manufacturing and services sectors. Evening chronotypes consistently exhibited less healthy dietary habits, including irregular meal timing, skipping breakfast, delayed food intake, greater consumption of energy-dense foods, lower fibre intake, and higher alcohol use. Additionally, psychosocial outcomes showed similar patterns, with evening types reported significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, stress, emotional exhaustion, and burnout compared to morning and intermediate types. Misalignment between chronotype and shift schedule further amplifies these effects, whereas alignment improved job satisfaction and well-being. Sleep disturbances, a contributing factor that can exacerbate psychosocial issues, were observed to be more common in evening types as compared to morning and intermediate types. Evening chronotype is a key vulnerability factor for both unhealthy eating habits and impaired psychosocial well-being among shift workers. Organisational strategies such as chronotype-sensitive scheduling, access to healthier food options, and tailored psychosocial support may mitigate these risks. Future longitudinal and interventional research is needed to establish causal pathways and to evaluate the effectiveness of chronotype-based workplace interventions.