Managing Food on Shift Work

• Project start date: 1 February 2014
• Project status: Completed
• Project type: Food safety
• Discipline: Nutrition
• Principal researcher/s: Dr Clare Corish, DIT
• Collaborator/s: Dr John Kearney, DIT, Prof Barbara Livingstone, U

Research objective

• To examine the eating habits of shift workers and assess the impact of shift work and different shift work patterns on diet and related lifestyle behaviours
• To explore the physical activity patterns of shift workers and determine whether shift work affects participation in physical activity
• To investigate the barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and physical activity within the shift work environment, specifically the availability of workplace facilities
• To develop recommendations to empower shift workers to lead healthier lifestyles, and to effectively target communication strategies for this population group.

Outputs

Research report

• Title: Managing food on shift work
• Publication date: 1 October 2016
• Summary: An exploration of the eating patterns, related lifestyle behaviours and experiences of shift workers on the island of Ireland.
• Findings:

  Literature review

  • Shift workers appear to be at increased mental and physical health risk, particularly regarding non-communicable diseases.
  • Shift work can result in low-quality diet and irregular eating. Other adverse health behaviours are also reported.
  • The actual health effects of shift work are difficult to quantify.
  • The unique nutritional issues and obstacles to leading a healthier lifestyle while working shifts are detailed.
  • Workplace initiatives and management by employers can help minimise the adverse effects of shift work and promote workers’ wellbeing.

  Qualitative and quantitative surveys

  Effect of shift work on dietary behaviours

  • Shift work resulted in workers’ routines being frequently disrupted, with erratic and irregular eating patterns ensuing.
  • Healthy eating guidelines were not met by most shift workers.

  Effect of shift work on lifestyle behaviours

  • 44% of shift workers didn’t the recommended levels of physical activity per week.
  • High rates of smoking were noted.
  • Of those who drink alcohol, 24% reported “high-risk” drinking.
  • The negative effect of shift work on sleep was evident, with 66% not getting the recommended sleep. Insufficient sleep was associated with negative dietary and lifestyle behaviours.

  Identification of the influences on dietary and lifestyle behaviours among shift workers

  • Males reporting poorer dietary behaviours and more likely to report being overweight. Males also reported poorer sleep patterns. Females were more likely to report “high-risk” drinking.
  • Younger shift workers reported poorer dietary behaviours and had higher rates of alcohol consumption and smoking than older workers. Lower physical activity and poorer sleep patterns were reported by older shift workers.
  • Lower socioeconomic groups reported poorer dietary behaviours and higher rates of smoking compared with more affluent groups.

  Range of factors that may influence the behaviours of shift workers

  • Differences were observed in the degree to which individuals or workers in specific employment sectors were influenced by intrinsic or extrinsic factors.
  • The primary difference was observed between structured and unstructured workplace environments, particularly in relation to break times and working hours.

  Barriers to healthier living for shift workers

  • Individual barriers include motivation to change, organisational skills, planning and time management, nutritional knowledge and external locus of control.
  • Workplace barriers include limited workplace facilities, lack of healthy dining options, erratic routine, lack of structured breaks and finishing times, occupational stress and workplace culture.

  Facilitators to healthier living for shift workers

  • Individual facilitators include nutrition and lifestyle advice specific to shift work, advice on time management and ideas for meal planning.
  • Workplace facilitators include improved workplace facilities, healthier menu options, improved shift structure and workplace health initiatives.
• Recommendations:
  • Younger shift workers and those new to shift work should be prioritised for support to enable them to adjust to an irregular routine, preventing the development of the less favourable lifestyle behaviours associated with shift work.
  • Employers should provide reasonable time and facilities to promote healthy eating. The provision of facilities for purchasing healthy foods within the workplace is required.
  • Awareness and guidance on healthy sleep patterns should be provided to shift workers.
  • Dietary guidance for shift workers should be tailored to the individual work circumstances to encourage regular meal patterns.
  • The benefits of physical activity should be promoted, highlighting practical options for those on shift work.
  • Targeted smoking-cessation help, potentially as part of workplace wellbeing health initiatives, should be implemented.

  You can download the report below.

Other outputs

Nea, F.M. et al. (2015) ‘Dietary and lifestyle habits and the associated health risks in shift workers’, Nutrition Research Reviews, 28(2), pp. 143–166. doi:10.1017/S095442241500013X.

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