Associations between hedonic hunger, diet quality, mindful eating, sleep quality, and occupational stress in shift and non-shift hospital employees

Ak S., Altun H. K.

Journal of Health Psychology, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1177/13591053261426792
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Health Psychology
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: diet quality, hedonic hunger, mindful eating, occupational stress, sleep quality
  • Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This cross-sectional study investigates the association between hedonic hunger and lifestyle and nutritional factors among hospital employees with different work schedules. A total of 220 healthcare professionals participated. Hedonic hunger, mindful eating, sleep quality, occupational stress, and diet quality were evaluated using validated scales. Compared to non-shift workers, those on rotating shifts had significantly higher levels of hedonic hunger (p = 0.013) and job stress (p < 0.001), alongside lower mindful eating scores (p < 0.001). Hedonic hunger was moderately correlated with poorer sleep quality (r = 0.335, p < 0.001) and increased job stress (r = 0.333, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that poor sleep quality increased the likelihood of elevated hedonic hunger by 27.8%, retaining significance after adjusting for age and sex (24.7%). Job stress was associated with a 3.0% increase in hedonic hunger risk. These findings highlight the need to integrate stress reduction, mindful eating, and sleep optimisation strategies, especially for shift-working healthcare professionals.