Endocrine Abstracts

Approximately 20 percent of the world’s working population is working shifts. The shift working system that affects such a large population often causes circadian rhythm disturbances. These disorders adversely affect nutritional habits and quality, sleep patterns and quality, and body composition. The risk of chronic diseases, especially obesity and diabetes, increases due to the direct and indirect effects of disruption in the circadian rhythm. The aim of this study is to compare the data on nutrition habits, sleep quality and body composition of workers working in day and night shifts in furniture production. The study was carried out on a total of 290 male workers working in 6 different furniture manufacturing factories in the 24–60 age range of 215 shifts during the day shift and 75 shifts during the night shift. Demographic characteristics and nutritional habits were questioned by demographic questionnaire. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire was used to determine the sleep quality; In order to determine the dietary quality, a frequency of food consumption questionnaire was used and was evaluated by Mediterranean Diet Compatibilty Score. Body weight, height, waist and hip circumference, body fat percentage and lean tissue mass were measured in order to evaluate the body composition. Results obtained from the study; Significant differences were found between age, body weight, BMI, hip circumference, waist circumference and body fat percentage between shift working status and groups (P < 0.05). Waist hip ratio and fat free weight did not differ between the groups(P > 0.05). However, it was concluded that all body composition data evaluated were higher in night shift workers. Demographic characteristics revealed that marital status, number of people living in households, education level, alcohol and cigarette smoking, chronic disease, water consumption and occupational accident status were related to shift working status (P < 0.05). It was found that the mean Mediterranean diet compatibility score (11,15 ± 1,93) of the day shift workers was statistically significant and higher than the mean Mediterranean diet compliance score (9.35 ± 1,79) of the night shift workers (P < 0,05). When the nutritional habits were examined, it was concluded that shift working status had a significant relationship with the number of meals and skipped meals, but there was no significant relationship between meal preferences. When the sleep quality was examined, it was concluded that other Pittsburgh sleep quality components (subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, habitual sleep activity, sleep disorder, sleep medication use, daytime dysfunction) and total score were significantly higher and higher in the night shift workers (P < 0.05).