PD170 - WORK ENVIRONMENT, DIETARY INTAKE AND STRESS: A PARADOX OF HIGHER ENERGY INTAKE BUT POOR NUTRITIONAL ADEQUACY

PD170

WORK ENVIRONMENT, DIETARY INTAKE AND STRESS: A PARADOX OF HIGHER ENERGY INTAKE BUT POOR NUTRITIONAL ADEQUACY

B. Hocaoğlu^1,*, S. Demir Filiz¹

¹Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Izmir Tınaztepe University, izmir, Türkiye

Rationale: Changes in work conditions, especially shifts between home-based and office-based work, may affect dietary behaviors, stress, and nutritional status. This study compared dietary intake, nutritional adequacy, food ordering habits, and job stress between home-based and outside workers.

Methods: A cross-sectional study included 176 adults (18–50 yrs), equally divided. Dietary intake was assessed via 3-day food records. Meal patterns, beverage consumption, and food delivery habits were recorded. Nutritional attitudes and job stress were assessed with validated scales. Anthropometrics were measured. Statistical analyses included independent samples tests, Mann–Whitney U, and correlations.

Results: Outside workers had significantly higher daily energy, protein, carbohydrate, fiber, and monounsaturated fat intake compared to home-based workers (p<0.05). Despite this, both groups exhibited substantial inadequacies in micronutrient intake, including vitamins and minerals. Food delivery contributed only a limited proportion of daily nutrient requirements in both groups. Meal skipping, particularly breakfast, and frequent fast-food consumption under stress were common. Job stress levels were significantly higher in outside workers (p<0.001); however, no significant association was found between stress levels and dietary intake in either group. Similarly, nutritional attitudes were not correlated with actual nutrient intake.

Conclusion: These findings reveal a striking paradox: higher energy intake does not translate into better nutritional quality. This dissociation between intake, stress, and nutritional adequacy highlights a critical gap in current dietary behaviors—suggesting that improving nutritional quality, rather than quantity, should be the primary target of future interventions in working populations.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared