title: Nutrition and health in hotel staff on different shift patterns.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Limited research is available that examines the nutritional behaviour and health of hotel staff working alternating and regular shifts.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the nutritional behaviour and health of employees working in alternating and regular shifts.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study used an ex post facto cross-sectional analysis to compare the nutritional behaviour and health parameters of workers with alternating shifts and regular shift workers. Nutritional behaviour was assessed with the Food Frequency Questionnaire. Body dimensions (body mass index, waist hip ratio, fat mass and active cell mass), metabolic values (glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol and low- and high-density lipoprotein), diseases and health complaints were included as health parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants worked in alternating (n = 53) and regular shifts (n = 97). The average age of subjects was 35 ± 10 years. There was no significant difference in nutritional behaviour, most surveyed body dimensions or metabolic values between the two groups. However, alternating shift workers had significantly lower fat mass and higher active cell mass but nevertheless reported more pronounced health complaints. Sex and age were also confirmed as influencing the surveyed parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Shift-dependent nutritional problems were not conspicuously apparent in this sample of hotel industry workers. Health parameters did not show significantly negative attributes for alternating shift workers. Conceivably, both groups could have the same level of knowledge on the health effects of nutrition and comparable opportunities to apply this. Further studies on nutritional and health behaviour in the hotel industry are necessary in order to create validated screening programmes.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Institute and Clinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Technical University of Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany, reingard.seibt@mailbox.tu-dresden.de.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seibt
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Institute and Clinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Technical University of Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Süße
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Institute and Clinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Technical University of Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spitzer
authors.affiliation: Government Safety Organisation Foods and Restaurants (BGN), German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Foodstuffs and Catering Industry (ASD*BGN), Office of Coordination Potsdam, 14480 Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hunger
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Institute of General Psychology, Biopsychology and Methods of Psychology, Technical University of Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rudolf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Body dimensions; health; hotel; metabolic parameters; nutritional behaviour; restaurant; shift work.