Diet, Physical Activity, and Daylight Exposure Patterns in Night-Shift Workers and Day Workers

Background: Night-shift work has been reported to have an impact on nutrition, daylight exposure, and physical activity, which might play a role in observed health effects. Because these exposures show diurnal variation, and shift work has been related with disturbances in the circadian rhythm, the timing of assessment of these factors requires careful consideration. Our aim was to describe the changes in patterns of diet, physical activity, and daylight exposure associated with night-shift work.

Methods: We conducted an observational study among female healthcare workers either regularly working night shifts or not working night shifts. We assessed physical activity and daylight exposure using continuous monitoring devices for 48 h. We logged dietary patterns (24 h) and other health- and work-associated characteristics. Two measurement sessions were conducted when participants did 'not' work night shifts, and one session was conducted during a night-shift period.

Results: Our study included 69 night-shift workers and 21 day workers. On days in which they conduct work but no night work, night-shift workers had similar physical activity and 24-h caloric intake, yet higher overall daylight exposures than day workers and were more often exposed around noon instead of mainly around 1800h. Night-shift workers were less exposed to daylight during the night-shift session compared to the non-night-shift session. Total caloric intakes did not significantly differ between sessions, but we did observe a shorter maximum fasting interval, more eating moments, and a higher percentage of fat intake during the night-shift session.

Conclusion: Observed differences in diet, physical activity, and exposure to daylight primarily manifested themselves through changes in exposure patterns, highlighting the importance of time-resolved measurements in night-shift-work research. Patterns in daylight exposure were primarily related to time of waking up and working schedule, whereas timing of dinner seemed primarily governed by social conventions.