Abstract

Introduction: The biological clock or circadian rhythm of an organism is a set of regular oscillations. Working at night or on night shifts disrupts the circadian rhythm. When the circadian rhythm is disrupted, concentrations of adiponectin and leptin (satiety hormones) rise at night, leading to overeating and fat gain, while lack of sleep elevates ghrelin levels of the hunger hormone. Thus, the current study sought to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices about the dietary and lifestyle factors amongst night-shift working professionals and to assess the influence of knowledge and attitudes on their practices.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among individuals working night shifts in Maharashtra. A pre-tested questionnaire consisting of questions related to their knowledge, diet, and lifestyle was recorded and scored.

Results: Among the 206 participants, a maximum of them were male (57.1%). Approximately 72.8% of respondents were quite young (25-30 years) and had been working the night shift for a period of 9-12 months. The majority (76.6%) of respondents had no medical conditions. Many (42.7%) of the night-shift working professionals were found to be obese. Significance was observed between knowledge and attitude among the overweight BMI category.

Conclusion: The participants had good knowledge in terms of dietary habits and lifestyle-related factors. However, this was not reflected in their attitudes and practices. Therefore, interventional research targeting attitudes and behaviors is required to improve behavioral patterns among overweight/ obese people.

Keywords: Circadian rhythm, lifestyle, shift work schedule, overweight, obesity, knowledge and attitude.