Dietary behavior and its influencing factors among experienced shiftwork nurses: a secondary analysis

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the dietary behavior of experienced shiftwork nurses and aimed to identify factors related to dietary behavior. Methods: This study was a secondary analysis based on the Shift Work Nurses’ Health and Turnover study among Korean nurses. In total, 247 experienced shiftwork nurses were included in this study. The participants’ dietary behavior, depression, level of occupational stress, fatigue, physical activity, and general characteristics were measured. Using SPSS ver. 28.0, data were analyzed to obtain descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficients. The independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and multiple regression analysis were also conducted. Results: The dietary behavior score of the participants using the Mini-Dietary Assessment Index was 29.35±5.67. Thirty percent of the participants were depressed, the participants experienced moderate occupational stress, and 74.1% of the participants engaged in an inadequate amount of physical activity. The factors influencing shiftwork nurses’ dietary behavior were having child(ren) (β=.16, p=.027), depression (β=–.13, p=.032), level of occupational stress related to occupational climate (β=–.13, p=.035), and an inadequate amount of physical activity (β=–.17, p=.006). These factors explained 10.4% of the variance in experienced shiftwork nurses’ dietary behavior scores. Conclusion: Experienced nurses with child(ren) tended to have healthier diets. However, a higher level of occupational stress related to occupational climate, depression, and engaging in an inadequate amount of physical activity were associated with a higher risk of having an unhealthy diet. Therefore, strategies are needed to encourage physical activity and alleviate adverse occupational climate and depression among experienced nurses.