Abordagem crononutricional de trabalhadores em turnos ; Chrononutritional approach of shift workers

Introduction: Shift workers suffer from imbalances in the circadian timing system (CTS) and changes in lifestyle habits, which seem to increase the risk of developing metabolic and nutritional disorders. Important changes in food consumption have been addressed in the literature, with special changes in mealtimes, but studies are still insufficient to determine the impact of these habits on the diet composition and the etiology of nutritional diseases. Objectives: To evaluate the association between the time-related eating patterns and the total daily calories and macronutrients consumed by fixed day and night workers. It was also aimed to evaluate the effect of two different meal compositions consumed at nighttime by night workers on food consumption and perceptions of the subsequent meal. Material and Methods: The first article presented in this thesis had a transversal design and was performed with 81 military police officers (29-day workers and 52-night workers). Calories and macronutrients consumption was assessed using a three-day food diary. The time-related eating patterns included the number of meals, the time of the first and last meal, the eating duration, and caloric midpoint. Participants were classified as “early” or “late eaters” according to the median of caloric midpoint. Multiple linear regression analysis separated by work shift and adjusted for age and body mass index was used to analyze the association between the time-related eating pattern variables and total daily caloric and macronutrients intake. The second article was a randomized crossover study performed with 14-night workers who worked in the healthcare area of a public hospital in the city of Uberlândia. Participants were monitored regarding food consumption and sleep habits in the seven days before the experimental protocol. Subsequently, the individuals were randomized and consumed two isocaloric meals at two moments separated by a six-day washout – a high-protein/moderate-carbohydrate (HP/MCHO) meal containing 45% of ...