A new report into the habits of people who work shifts has found more than 2 in 3 (67%) reported skipping meals on work days and almost 8 in 10 (78%) reported getting insufficient sleep. The report by safefood also found that in some employment sectors, 1 in 3 shift workers were smokers, a rate significantly higher than those in the general population.
The study of 1,000 people also found that lack of breaks; shift patterns; poor availability of food; inadequate canteen opening times; and tiredness due to long working hours were the most common barriers reported by shift workers to leading a healthier lifestyle.
Gender and age were also identified by the report as being influencing factors – men reported poorer dietary habits than women and were more likely to report being overweight. Younger shift workers reported poorer dietary habits and higher alcohol consumption rates than older workers. Older workers reported poorer sleep patterns and lower levels of physical activity.
Welcoming the report, Ray Dolan, CEO safefood said “It has been long assumed that shift work has a negative impact on people’s health and increases the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer. With the publication of this research, we’re beginning to address an important gap in our knowledge of both the barriers and potential public health interventions to improving the food and related lifestyle habits of people working shifts.”
The research was led by UCD in partnership with Ulster University and Dublin Institute of Technology.
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