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Dietary rhythmicity and mental health among airline personnel
Misaligned dietary rhythms have been linked to metabolic diseases, but their relationship with mental health is still under-researched. This study by Zhang E. et al. (2024) explored the connection between dietary rhythms and mental health among shift workers, focusing on airline crew members. Data from China’s Civil Aviation Health Cohort were examined in this cross-sectional research, including major Chinese airline pilots, flight attendants, and air security agents participating in this continuing health study. An online survey was distributed by text message to participants between the ages of 18 and 60 between December 2022 and March 2023. Statistical analyses were conducted between July 24, 2023, and April 12, 2024. Data were gathered about meal and eating jet lag, daily eating windows, and the time of breakfast and supper on workdays and rest days, in addition to several depression and anxiety assessments, namely, the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7) and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Adjusting for individual socioeconomic, demographic, and lifestyle characteristics, analyses were performed to assess the associations between anxiety, depression, mealtime, eating window duration, and meal/eating jet lag. Among 22,617 participants (median age 29.1 years; 60.6% male), 1,755 (7.8%) reported anxiety, and 2,768 (12.2%) reported depression. Eating supper after 8 PM on morning shift days was linked to higher risks of anxiety and depression compared to before 8 PM, even after adjusting for confounding factors. For both rest days and night shifts, similar trends were seen. On morning shift days, eating within a 12-hour window was linked to a decreased likelihood of experiencing anxiety and despair; these effects persisted on rest days as well. On morning shift days, eating dinner later was associated with a higher risk of anxiety and depression; in addition, delayed dinners were also linked to increased chances of anxiety and depression on nights when night shifts were worked. On days when the morning shift was worked, delayed eating patterns were linked to increased chances of sadness, and advanced eating patterns decreased chances of anxiety. The authors defined meal jet lag and eating jet lag based on the timing of meals on weekdays, with mealtimes considered advanced if less than 1 hour earlier, delayed if more than 1 hour later, and maintained if within 1 hour of the regular schedule. This study highlights that meal timing, prolonged eating windows, and meal jet lag are associated with increased risks of depression and anxiety among shift workers. These findings indicate the necessity for interventions and policies aimed at addressing the negative mental health effects of shift work and irregular hours. [NPID: Dietary rhythms, mental health, shift workers, airline crew, anxiety, depression, mealtime, eating window, meal jet lag, interventions]
Year: 2024
