Sleep and Dietary Patterns Among Nurses Working in different Shifts

Background: Shift work greatly impacts the biological clock of nurses due to altered sleep and dietary patterns. purpose: This study investigated differences in sleep and dietary patterns among nurses working different shifts and the consequences of these patterns on sleep quality and health. Methods: Researchers recruited sixty-seven nurses from a medical center. Participants were grouped according to current shift type, namely: fixed day shift (FDS, n = 18), fixed evening shift (FES, n = 17), fixed night shift (FNS, n = 15) and rotating shift (RS, n = 17). Shifts lasted one month. Participants filled out questionnaires that included the 'Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)," "3-day sleeping diary," "3-day dietary record," and "Gastro-Intestine (GI) dysfunction checklist' in the midterm of their shift for 3 days. Results: (1) Sleep: 52.9%-82.4% of nurses reported their sleep as poor (PSQI ≥ 5). Sleep quality in the FNS and FRS group was the worst. The FES group recorded the longest sleep hours (8.9 hrs vs. 7.3-7.9 hrs). Sleep fragmentation was a significant occurrence in FNS (46.7%) and RS (23.5%) groups. Moreover, the daily wake and sleep routine varied between duty and off days in 80% of FNS nurses. (2) Dietary: The 3-day total caloric intake in FDS and FRS groups (1643-1684 Kcal) was significantly more than that in FES and FNS groups (p <.001). Nurses in the FES group also consumed significantly less protein, fat, carbohydrates and calories than the other groups. (3) 26.8%-47.1% of nurses reported various G-I dysfunctions, although there was no significant differences identified among groups. conclusions: Sleep quality among FNS and RS participants was the worst, possibly due to discordant daily routines between duty and off days. Nurses in the FES group consumed significantly less protein, fat, carbohydrates and calories than the other groups. More than half of the participants reported one or multiple G-I dysfunctions. Findings in this study provide information for nurses and institute stakeholders to better manage their shift work.