Relationship between emotional appetite, eating attitudes, sleep quality, and body mass index in healthcare workers: a multi-centre study

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to examine the emotional appetite statuses, eating attitudes and sleep quality of healthcare professionals and the relationships of these with body composition.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a study which is based on the relational screening model. The population of the study consisted of all personnel working at the Private Çorum and Private Elitpark Hospitals located in the province of Çorum in Turkey. The study included 210 (40%) healthcare professionals from the Private Çorum Hospital and 325 (60%) from the Private Elitpark Hospital, constituting 535 participants in total. The study included a sociodemographic information form that questioned the descriptive and nutrition-related information of the participants, the Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EMAQ) that determined their emotional appetite statuses, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) that determined their eating attitudes and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) that determined their quality of sleep.

FINDINGS: According to the results that were obtained in the study, the group with the highest BMI values based on their profession consisted of other healthcare personnel (28.6%). The individuals with high negative situation (7.53 ± 1.33, F = 23.746, p = 0.000) and high negative emotion (7.99 ± 1.17, F = 84.444, p = 0.000) appetite levels had higher BMI values. In terms of their emotional appetite statuses, the group with the highest negative emotion (7.05 ± 1.58, F = 3.108, p = 0.001) and negative situation (7.31 ± 1.34, F = 5.188, p = 0.000) scores was “other healthcare personnel”. The personnel with low sleep quality also had high BMI values (83.1%) (χ2 = 8.311, p = 0.040). The group with the highest rate of sleep disorders (66.9%) was nurses (χ2 = 18.661, p = 0.001). The individuals with eating attitude disorders had high BMI values (92.2%) (χ2 = 20.395, p = 0.000). The profession with the highest rate of eating attitude disorders (66.9%) was “other healthcare personnel” (χ2 = 18.661, p = 0.001). The individuals with disrupted sleep quality (53.7%) also had disrupted eating attitudes (χ2 = 17.661, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: The participants who had high negative situation and negative emotion scores had higher BMI levels, and the ones with the highest BMI values and highest negative emotion and negative situation values were other healthcare personnel. Individuals with low sleep quality and eating disorders had higher BMI levels, nurses had the highest rates of sleep disorders, and other healthcare personnel had the higher rates of eating disorders. Individuals with disrupted sleep quality were also found to have disrupted eating attitudes.