Effects of Shift Work on the Eating Behavior of Police Officers on Patrol

Abstract

Recent studies indicate that the timing of food intake can significantly affect metabolism and weight management. Workers operating at atypical times of the 24-h day are at risk of disturbed feeding patterns. Given the increased risk of weight gain, obesity and metabolic syndrome in shift working populations, further research is required to understand whether their eating behavior could contribute to these increased metabolic risks. The objective of this study was to characterize the dietary patterns of police officers across different types of shifts in their natural environments. Thirty-one police officers (six women; aged 32.1 ± 5.4 years, mean ± SD) from the province of Quebec, Canada, participated in a 28- to 35-day study, comprising 9- to 12-h morning, evening, and night shifts alternating with rest days. Sleep and work patterns were recorded with actigraphy and diaries. For at least 24 h during each type of work day and rest day, participants logged nutrient intake by timestamped photographs on smartphones. Macronutrient composition and caloric content were estimated by registered dieticians using the Nutrition Data System for Research database. Data were analyzed with linear mixed effects models and circular ANOVA. More calories were consumed relative to individual metabolic requirements on rest days than both evening- and night-shift days (p = 0.001), largely sourced from increased fat (p = 0.004) and carbohydrate (trend, p = 0.064) intake. Regardless, the proportions of calories from carbohydrates, fat, and protein did not differ significantly between days. More calories were consumed during the night, between 2300 h and 0600 h, on night-shift days than any other days (p < 0.001). Caloric intake occurred significantly later for night-shift days (2308 h ± 0114 h, circular mean ± SD) than for rest days (1525 h ± 0029 h; p < 0.01) and was dispersed across a longer eating window (13.9 h ± 3.1 h vs. 11.3 h ± 1.8 h, mean ± SD). As macronutrient proportions were similar and caloric intake was lower, the finding of later meals times on night-shift days versus rest days is consistent with emerging hypotheses that implicate the biological timing of food intake—rather than its quantity or composition—as the differentiating dietary factor in shift worker health.

The Influence of Work Resources, Demands, and Organizational Culture on Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, and Citizenship Behaviors of Spanish Police Officers

“…Finally, concerning the status of participants (1 = upper and executive management vs. two police officers), we found no significant differences in the majority of the variables (Work Demands, Social Support, Flexibility-Oriented Culture, Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction, OCBO (all p s > 0.05), except for the variable control ( M 1 = 3.47 SD 1 = 0.63 vs. M 2 = 2.94 SD 2 = 0.82; p < 0.05). These results are consistent with previous research showing that job content is different across posts [ 25 ]. In other words, police officers encounter significantly more physical psychological threat-related events (e.g., dealing with family disputes or crises) than executive management and, subsequently, they could feel or perceive having less control over their work.…”

“…In the same vein, Hagedoorn and Van Yperen suggest that control reduces fatigue in jobs with high demands, whereas high levels of social support cause high levels of intrinsic motivation, regardless of demand and control levels [ 23 ]. Empirical research showed that strain in a police officer can be referred to as high for all the abovementioned characteristics of everyday work, and so having a social source of support would be quite interesting for the institution, preventing absence and other harmful consequences [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ].…”

Hot, Tired and Hungry: The Snacking Behaviour and Food Cravings of Firefighters during Multi-Day Simulated Wildfire Suppression

“…However, the timing of food intake differed across the day. These findings are consistent with multiple studies that report that the timing of food intake differed, but not the amount of food consumed, across multiple shift-types [25,58,59]. Of note, the current study is the first to suggest that this pattern of altered meal timing can be found within the same shift-type when worked under different environmental conditions.…”

<p>Metabolic Syndrome in Female Police Officers and Female Office Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study in Occupations with Different Physical Activities</p>

“…POs operating at atypical times of the 24-h day and are at risk of disturbing feeding patterns. 25 On the other hand, Garbarino et al 26 indicate that occupational stress at work and sleep problems in male POs are associated with an increased diagnosis of MetS. In contrast to this, female groups showed significantly lower prevalence rates than the group of male OWs and POs.…”