Sleep, Dietary Habits, Smoking Status and Physical Activity among Jordanian Nurses

Abstract

Background: Healthy lifestyle is important in promoting health and reducing risk of chronic diseases. Nurses’ lifestyle could be affected negatively by working night shifts or always rotating shifts, long working hours and high exposure to work-related stress. Purpose: This study aims to assess nurses’ lifestyle and factors associated with it. Methods: A cross-sectional design with an online survey was used in this study. The sample included 203 Jordanian nurses from four hospitals. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, while dietary habits were assessed using the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants-Shortened Version. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results: Nurses’ mean age was 32.7±5.66 years and on average, they have 8.27±5.63 years of experience. Approximately, 25% of nurses were tobacco smokers. The majority of nurses reported poor sleep quality (n = 174, 85.5%). Approximately, 58% of nurses were overweight or obese and 41.9% of nurses had poor dietary habits. Only 39.5% of nurses reported moderate or high levels of activity. Conclusion: Jordanian nurses’ lifestyle showed poor quality in most aspects. Implications for Nursing: Nurses should be aware of the importance of adopting a healthier lifestyle to prevent possible complications. Nurse leaders should consider the health status of nurses and prevent illnesses by encouraging a healthier lifestyle of nurses. Keywords: Nurses, Lifestyle, Sleep quality, Dietary habits, Nutritional status, Physical activity.