Relations of Dietary patterns and sleep disorders in shift workers

Background: & aimsFew studies have been done on the association of dietary intakes with SDs among shift workers, in particular those exposed to air pollution. We aimed to investigate the association of major dietary patterns with risk of SDs in shift workers of a cement factory in Iran.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was carried out on 257 male shift workers in a cement factory in Iran. Usual dietary intake of participants was assessed using a validated self-administrated 147-item dish-based FFQ. To examine sleep disturbances of participants, we used the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).ResultsThree major dietary patterns including Classic Iranian (CI), Modern Iranian (MI), and High Protein Low Fruit and vegetables (HPLF) were identified. The CI pattern was mainly consisted of high-protein animal foods, fruit and vegetables, while, the MI pattern had high amounts of refined grains, solid oils, and caffeine drinks. No significant association was found between adherence to the CI pattern and risk of SDs (OR: 2.33; 95% CI: 0.69, 7.81) and also for the MI dietary pattern (OR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.20, 1.93). However, we found a significant direct association between the HPLF dietary pattern and risk of SDs (OR: 3.92; 95% CI: 1.03, 14.86).ConclusionThis study showed a significant direct association between a dietary pattern high in animal proteins and solid oils and low in fruit and vegetables with risk of sleep disorders among shift workers in the cement factory. However, no such association was found for the two other dietary patterns.