Abstract
BackgroundNurses face multiple stressors that can influence their lifestyle, thus affecting their health status. Scarce are the scientific data on the nutritional status of nurses, especially during health crises. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the eating habits of hospital nurses in the context of an exceptional economic situation in Lebanon.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted using a web-based questionnaire, targeting a non-random sampling of frontline nurses using the snowball technique. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were carried out. The population of the study included all registered nurses working in the Lebanese hospitals. A total of 533 nurses completed the questionnaire; 500 surveys were selected after excluding the ones presenting conditions that may affect their eating behavior.ResultsThe majority of the respondents were women (78.6%) with a mean age of 33 years [18-60] [SD,7.44 years]. Most of them (57.6%) had a crowding index ≥1. The consumption of different food groups decreased during these crises. There was a significant correlation between stress and deterioration of healthy food consumption, which provides beneficial nutrients and minimizes potentially harmful elements, especially for meat (OR 2.388, CI 1.463 to 3.898, P < 0.001). The decrease in monthly income showed a real impact on the consumption of healthy food such as meat (OR 2.181, CI 1.504 to 3.161, P < 001), fruits (OR 1.930, CI 1.289 to 2.888, P = 0.001), and milk and dairy products (OR 1.544, CI 1.039 to 2.295, P = 0.031).ConclusionsThe pandemic and in particular the economic crisis has changed the consumption of healthy food among hospital nurses in Lebanon. Similar research and support may be extended to include other frontline health care workers.
Highlights
Nurses face multiple stressors that can influence their lifestyle, affecting their health status
53.2% took care of COVID patients (n = 266), while only 13.4% were working in a special COVID-19 unit (n = 67)
The monthly income of 88.4% of the respondents was less than 1,600$ (1$=1,500LL) (n = 442) and 58.6% reported a decrease in their salary due to the economic crisis (n = 293)
Summary
Nurses face multiple stressors that can influence their lifestyle, affecting their health status. Scarce are the scientific data on the nutritional status of nurses, especially during health crises. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the eating habits of hospital nurses in the context of an exceptional economic situation in Lebanon. The rapidly evolving pandemic has stressed the entire health care system worldwide, especially in Lebanon where an extensive economic crisis has been striking the country since February 2020. High workloads, working hours, low staffing, stress, and economic barriers can influence nurses’ health by changing their lifestyle behaviors [6], and nutrition is well recognized as a central component of a healthy lifestyle [33]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
