Eating behaviors, home meal replacement consumption, and nutrition quotient: a comparative study of male shift and non-shift workers in Chungcheong, Korea.

Abstract

Background/objectives: Shift work, defined as employment outside standard working hours, is becoming increasingly common in industrialized countries. This study examined the differences in eating behaviors, home meal replacement (HMR) consumption, and nutrition quotient (NQ) between male shift and non-shift workers.

Subjects/methods: A total of 392 male workers (193 shift workers and 199 non-shift workers) in the Chungcheong region of Korea participated between May and July 2024. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire that assessed the general characteristics, eating behaviors, frequency of HMR consumption, perceived importance and satisfaction with the HMR attributes, and NQ. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 28.0, with χ² tests, independent t-tests, and analysis of covariance.

Results: Shift workers were significantly more likely to have lower education levels, lower monthly household income, and to be employed in manufacturing-related jobs than non-shift workers. They also showed more irregular meal timing, frequent late-night eating, higher smoking rates, less frequent physical activity, and poorer perceived sleep quality. Shift workers reported significantly more frequent consumption of specific HMR products, including gimbap/lunchboxes (0.51 vs. 0.37), sandwiches/burgers (0.43 vs. 0.36), microwavable snack foods (0.33 vs. 0.19), and frozen fried rice (0.21 vs. 0.12), based on a frequency score where 1 indicated once per week. No significant differences in the importance or satisfaction with HMR attributes were observed between the groups. In contrast, shift workers exhibited significantly lower total NQ scores (48.75 vs. 51.03), particularly in the balance and moderation domains.

Conclusion: Shift workers had less favorable eating behaviors, more frequent consumption of certain HMR products, and lower NQ scores than their non-shift counterparts, underscoring the urgent need for targeted public health strategies tailored to work schedules.