# Association of shift work with body weight, stress, sleep, and dietary intake in prison officers and firefighters

## TL;DR

Shift work in prison officers and firefighters is linked to poor diet, higher stress, and disrupted sleep, which may increase metabolic disease risk.

## Contribution

New insights into how shift work affects eating patterns, stress, and sleep in prison officers and firefighters, with implications for metabolic health.

## Key findings

- Prison officers and firefighters showed higher stress and disrupted sleep during shift days.
- Dietary intake, including energy and sugar, was higher during off-shift days for prison officers.
- Both groups had poor dietary patterns, with saturated fat and salt exceeding recommended levels.

## Abstract

We explored how shift work in UK prison officers and firefighters is associated with body composition, stress, and sleep, and with the quantity, quality, and timing of dietary intake whilst on-shift and off-shift.

Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from an intensive 7 day study on anthropometry, stress, sleeping patterns and dietary intake, obtained in 22 prison officers and 51 firefighters (both male and female), taking part in the neurobiology of food addiction and stress (NeuroFAST) study.

Mean age was 37.4 ± 7.23 years, while 78% of prison officers and 61% of firefighters were classified as living with either overweight or obesity. Overall, daily energy and total fat intakes were within recommended ranges. However, carbohydrate and dietary fibre intakes were below, while saturated fat and salt intakes exceeded, recommended amounts for health. Prison officers had a significantly lower frequency of breakfast and dinner occasions when on-shift, whereas firefighters had a significantly lower frequency of all eating occasions when on-shift, than when off-shift (all p < 0.001). In prison officers, intake of energy and sugar was significantly higher when off-shift (p = 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). Both prison officers and firefighters had higher stress scores during shift days than on non-shift days (p = 0.007 and p < 0.001 respectively). Both groups had longer sleep durations on non-shift days than on shift days (all p < 0.001).

Prison officers and firefighters had a high prevalence of overweight and obesity and their dietary patterns, and timing of eating occasions, especially when off-shift, may increase risk of metabolic disease.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00394-026-03923-x.