Navigating Nutrition in a 24/7 World: A Scoping Review of Dietary Intake and Chrononutrition Assessment in Shift Working Populations.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Scoping review of primarily observational studies (design analogy)
PubMed 42135909 · doi:10.1111/jhn.70272
What was done
A scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines searched five databases through July 2025 to map dietary intake and chrononutrition assessment in shift workers. Quality was appraised using Joanna Briggs Institute checklists. The review included 24 studies representing 27,537 participants across 13 countries.
What was found
Shift workers exhibited mixed energy intake patterns: 55% of studies reported excess intake (103–303 kcal/day), 14% reported deficits (1521–1698 kcal/day), and 14% found no differences despite temporal redistribution. Macronutrient and dietary patterns showed consistent disruption: 63% reported increased saturated fat and simple carbohydrates, a 24% decrease in fibre, and lower intake of fruits, vegetables, and micronutrients (vitamin D, calcium, iodine, iron, carotene). Overall diet quality worsened in 88% of studies. While 54% of studies omitted chrononutrition variables, the 46% that measured meal timing reported eating windows extended by 2.3–2.6 hours, caloric midpoint delayed by ~2 hours, and last meals occurring 2–3 hours later during night shifts. Later timing and longer eating windows were significantly associated with higher daily energy intake (β = 0.32(N)–0.47(D); p < 0.001).
Why it matters
This review demonstrates that while shift work markedly disrupts both diet quality and meal schedules, over half of existing dietary studies fail to measure meal timing. Incorporating time-stamped assessments is necessary to understand and target chrononutritional risk factors in shift workers.
Limits
Findings rely on observational studies with heterogeneous energy intake results. Chrononutrition variables were absent in 54% of the included literature, and specific shift patterns or occupational settings were not differentiated in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Approximately 15% to 20% of the population in industrialized countries works shift work involving day and night shifts.