The Effects of Workplace Stressors on Dietary Patterns among Workers at a Private Hospital in Recôncavo of Bahia, Brazil: A Longitudinal Study before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health 2023-03, Vol.20 (5), p.4606
• Main Authors: Coelho, Lorene Gonçalves, Costa, Priscila Ribas de Farias, Leite, Luana de Oliveira, de Oliveira, Karin Eleonora Sávio, Akutsu, Rita de Cássia Coelho de Almeida
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Body composition; Body mass index; Brazil; Cereals; Chi-square test; Chronic illnesses; Computer software industry; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Data collection; Epidemics; Factor analysis; Food; Food and nutrition; Food habits; Health aspects; Hospitals; Hospitals, Private; Humans; Job stress; Lifestyles; Longitudinal Studies; Metabolism; Nurses; Nutrition; Occupational health; Occupational stress; Occupational Stress - epidemiology; Pandemics; Psychological stress; Questionnaires; Shift work; Sociodemographics; Stress; United States; Workers; Working conditions; Workload; Workplace
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20054606

Working in a hospital environment is known for presenting unhealthy features that affect the workers' health-features which have currently been intensified due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, this longitudinal study aimed to ascertain the level of job stress before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, how this changed, and its association with the dietary patterns of hospital workers. Data on sociodemographic, occupational, lifestyle, health, anthropometric, dietetic, and occupational stress were collected before and during the pandemic from 218 workers at a private hospital in the Recôncavo of Bahia, Brazil. McNemar's chi-square test was used for comparison purposes, Exploratory Factor Analysis to identify dietary patterns, and Generalized Estimating Equations to evaluate the interested associations. During the pandemic, participants reported increased occupational stress, shift work, and weekly workloads, compared with before the pandemic. Additionally, three dietary patterns were identified before and during the pandemic. No association was observed between changes in occupational stress and dietary pattens. However, COVID-19 infection was related to changes in pattern A (0.647, IC95%0.044;1.241, = 0.036) and the amount of shift work related to changes in pattern B, (0.612, IC95%0.016;1.207, = 0.044). These findings support calls to strengthen labour policies to ensure adequate working conditions for hospital workers in the pandemic context.