Working hours and cardiometabolic health – an emerging area of nutritional research

Abstract

Multifactorial work‐related diseases are diseases that occur in the general population, but may be exacerbated or partially caused by occupational exposures. There is increasing evidence to suggest that type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are associated with duration and time of working hours. Despite the role of diet in the aetiology of cardiometabolic disease being well established, gaps remain in understanding the relationship between working hours and diet. Studies that have compared the diets of shift to non‐shift workers have reported inconsistent results, likely due to the heterogeneity of study design, including variations in the industry studied and dietary measurement methods used. There is a paucity of research investigating dietary intakes across different shift types, both inside and outside of working hours and in relation to duration of working hours. From the published research that exists, there appears to be growing consensus that night working is associated with a change in the temporal distribution of energy intake and poorer food choices. Epidemiological studies have shown that consuming a higher percentage of energy during the evening is positively associated with metabolic syndrome, while controlled studies have demonstrated an altered metabolic response to eating at night compared to during daytime hours. In the UK, 15% of the working population are employed in jobs that require shift work and 13% of employees work more than 48 hours per week. Understanding the complex relationship between working hours, diet and cardiometabolic health will provide an opportunity to improve the health of a significant proportion of the population.

Chrono‐nutrition – an emerging, modifiable risk factor for chronic disease?

“…Chrono‐nutrition includes research into the distribution of energy intake, meal frequency and regularity, the duration of eating and fasting periods, and the relative importance of these factors for metabolic health and chronic disease risk (Flanagan et al, 2020; Pot et al, 2016). This Virtual Issue brings together papers recently published in Nutrition Bulletin discussing different aspects of chrono‐nutrition, including sleep, breakfast consumption and time‐restricted feeding (Figure 1) (Clayton et al, 2020; Darzi et al, 2017; Edinburgh et al, 2017; Gibson, 2018; Gibson‐Moore & Chambers, 2019; Lynch et al, 2021; Ruddick‐Collins et al, 2018). Other elements of chrono‐nutrition such as meal regularity, meal frequency and clock time (time of eating) are beyond the scope of this Virtual Issue.…”

“…Research has shown that shift workers, especially those working at night, are at an increased risk of developing chronic non‐communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiometabolic diseases (Depner et al, 2014; Reutrakul & Knutson, 2015). Despite the known role of diet in the aetiology of cardiometabolic disease, gaps remain in understanding the relationship between working hours and diet (Gibson, 2018). Gibson's review in this Virtual Issue summarises the current research and future directions in the field of working hours and nutrition research (Gibson, 2018).…”

“…Despite the known role of diet in the aetiology of cardiometabolic disease, gaps remain in understanding the relationship between working hours and diet (Gibson, 2018). Gibson's review in this Virtual Issue summarises the current research and future directions in the field of working hours and nutrition research (Gibson, 2018). Chrono‐nutrition may be the mediator of the increased risk of chronic non‐communicable diseases of shift workers.…”

“…Understanding the complex relationship between the different components of chrono‐nutrition, including the importance of fasting, sleep, working hours, daily distribution of nutrient intake and how this affects cardiometabolic health will provide an opportunity to improve the health of a significant proportion of the population (Gibson, 2018). When considering chrono‐nutrition as part of the management of obesity and obesity‐related disorders, chrono‐type also needs to be taken into account.…”