Assessment of Eating Occasions, Number of Meals and Snack and Energy Intake and Their Relationships with Metabolic Syndrome in Shift and Fixed Workers of Bandar Mahshahr Petrochemical Company, Bandar Mahshahr, Iran

A few studies have assessed associations between the number of eating occasions (EOs) and energy intake from meals and snacks with metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate EOs and energy intake from meals and snacks and their relationships with metabolic syndrome in 20–60 year-old employees of Bandar Mahshahr Petrochemical Company, Bandar Mahshahr, Iran.

In this cross-sectional study, 293 petrochemical workers were selected using census method. Food record were collected for three days [fixed workers:two days of working days (Days 1 and 2) and one day of rest (Day 3); and shift workers:one day of working (Day 1), one night shift working (Day 2) and one rest day (day 3). Demographic and socioeconomic information and chronotype were collected using valid questionnaires. In this study, eating occasion was defined as energy intake of 50 kcal or more per hour of the day. Differences and associations between the number of EOs  and the portion of energy from the main meals and snacks with metabolic syndrome were investigated using Mann-Whitney test and logistic regression analysis, respectively.

The mean and standard deviation of the number of eating occasions of shift workers were significantly higher than fixed workers (p < 0.01) and the meals frequency of fixed workers were significantly higher than shift workers (p < 0.01). The mean and standard deviation of total energy intake at Day 2 (night working) of shift workers were significantly higher than fixed workers (p < 0.01) and energy intake of meals at Day 3 of fixed workers were significantly higher than shift workers and energy intake from snacks at Days 2 and 3 and average of 3 days of shift workers were significantly higher than fixed workers (p < 0.01). After adjusting for the effects of confounders, shift workers with a higher proportion of energy intake from meals (main meals and snacks) were more likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome and its complications. Furthermore, one unit increase in the number of EOs, meals and snacks was associated with increasing the chance of hypertriglyceridemia and high waist circumference. In fixed workers, possibility of metabolic syndrome and high waist circumference was increased with the increases in the number of EOs  and snack and energy intake of meals and snacks. Moreover, the likelihood of hyperglycemia was rised with an increase in the portion of energy intake from snacks. Chances of hypertriglyceridemia and high LDL-C was increased with increasing in the number of snacks and energy intake of snacks (p < 0.05). 

This study revealed the importance of paying attention to nutrition in shift workers through training and nutritional interventions and diagnosing the risk factors linked to working conditions in decreasing risks of metabolic syndrome and its complications.