The factors influencing the eating behaviour of shiftworkers: what, when, where and why

Nov 9, 2018Industrial health

What affects when, what, where, and why shift workers eat

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Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

A systematic review identified 62 articles on shiftworkers' eating patterns, revealing key influencing factors.

Irregular working hours significantly impact when shiftworkers eat.
The type of shift determines the kinds of foods consumed by shiftworkers.
Most food is sourced from canteens and cafeterias.
Socialising with colleagues is the primary reason shiftworkers choose to eat during shifts.
Future research should consider various industries and contexts to better understand shiftworker eating behaviors.

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Shiftwork leads to altered eating patterns, with workers often eating foods at all times across the 24 h period. Strategies to reduce the burden of shiftwork on the workers should be prioritised and altering these eating patterns is an important area for change. This narrative review examines the current evidence on the individual and environmental factors influencing the eating behaviours of shiftworkers. A systematic search was conducted and yielded 62 articles. These were split into four themes that influence eating patterns; When shiftworkers eat, What type of foods shiftworkers eat, Where the food is sourced from, and Why shiftworkers choose to eat on shift. Irregular working hours was the biggest influence on when workers ate on shift, shift-type was the biggest influence on what workers ate, the majority of food was sourced from canteens and cafeterias, and socialising with colleagues was the biggest reason why workers chose to eat. While more research is needed to explore multiple industries and shift-types, and to investigate the ideal size, type and timing of food on shift, this review has highlighted that future research into shiftworker eating needs to adopt an integrative approach and consider the different individual and social contexts that influence eating patterns.

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The factors influencing the eating behaviour of shiftworkers: what, when, where and why

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