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

Lorene Gonçalves Coelho (), Priscila Ribas de Farias Costa, Luana de Oliveira Leite, Karin Eleonora Sávio de Oliveira and Rita de Cássia Coelho de Almeida Akutsu ()
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Lorene Gonçalves Coelho: Health Science Centre, Federal University of Recôncavo of Bahia, Santo Antônio de Jesus, Bahia 44574-490, Brazil
Priscila Ribas de Farias Costa: School of Nutrition, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia 40110-150, Brazil
Luana de Oliveira Leite: School of Nutrition, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia 40110-150, Brazil
Karin Eleonora Sávio de Oliveira: Department of Nutrition, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasilia, Asa Norte, Distrito Federal, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
Rita de Cássia Coelho de Almeida Akutsu: School of Nutrition, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia 40110-150, Brazil

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 5, 1-15

Abstract: 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, p = 0.036) and the amount of shift work related to changes in pattern B, (0.612, IC95%0.016;1.207, p = 0.044). These findings support calls to strengthen labour policies to ensure adequate working conditions for hospital workers in the pandemic context.

Keywords: occupational stress; demand–control model; workplace stressors; dietary patterns; COVID-19 pandemic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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