Associations between job stress, eating behaviors, and body mass index among healthcare professionals at King Faisal Medical Complex, Taif, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Background: Healthcare professionals are frequently exposed to occupational stress due to the demanding nature of their work environment. Such stress may influence eating behaviors and potentially contribute to weight-related health outcomes. This study aimed to examine the association between job stress, eating behaviors, and body mass index (BMI) among healthcare professionals working at King Faisal Medical Complex, Taif, Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 323 healthcare professionals aged 25-60 years at King Faisal Medical Complex, Taif, Saudi Arabia. Participants completed a self-administered online questionnaire comprising of three sections: sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ), and the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ). BMI was calculated based on self-reported height and weight. Descriptive statistics, group comparisons, and correlation analyses were performed.

Results: High job stress was reported by 46.4% of participants. Moderate levels of restrained eating (52.3%) and external eating (65.6%) were common, whereas emotional eating was less prevalent, with 37.5% reporting moderate levels and only 9.0% reporting high levels. Weak but statistically significant correlations were observed between job stressors and emotional eating (r = 0.11, p = 0.049) and stress response and external eating (r = 0.14, p = 0.014). Social support was weakly and inversely correlated with external eating (r =  - 0.15, p = 0.006). Restrained and emotional eating behaviors were significantly higher among overweight and obese participants compared with normal-weight individuals (p < 0.05). However, no significant association was observed between overall job stress and BMI.

Conclusions: Job stress is highly prevalent among healthcare professionals and is modestly associated with certain eating behaviors. Although job stress was not directly associated with BMI, maladaptive eating behaviors-particularly restrained and emotional eating--were significantly related to higher BMI. These findings highlight the importance of workplace strategies that address both stress management and healthy eating behaviors to support the well-being of healthcare professionals. This study is based on a cross-sectional design and is classified as level of evidence 4.