Temporal patterns of food consumption and their association with cardiovascular risk in rotating shift workers

Objective We aimed to evaluate the association of temporal patterns of food consumption with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Methods This cross-sectional study included male rotating shift workers in an iron ore extraction company. Data on food consumption was collected using a 24-hour recall, applied by trained interviewers. The variables for temporal patterns of food consumption were: eating window, eating at night, number of meals and omission of breakfast. CVD-risk was measured by calculating the Framingham coronary heart disease risk score (FCRS), and classified as low risk or intermediate to high risk. Descriptive, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses examined the association between variables related to temporal patterns of food consumption and CVD-risk. Results The study assessed 208 workers, the majority with 20 to 34 years (45.1%), non-white (77.2%), and 5 years or more in shift work (76.0%). Most participants had a feeding window exceeding 12 hours (63.9%), consumed meals until 10 p.m. (68.1%), had five or more meals per day (54.8%), and did not skip breakfast (86.5%). Regarding CVD-risk, 43.8% of the participants were classified with intermediate to high risk for CVD. In the multivariate model, a feeding window (OR: 2.32; 95%CI: 1.01-5.35), eating after 10 p.m. (OR: 3.31; 95%CI: 1.01-11.0), and skipping breakfast (OR: 2.58; 95%CI: 1.07-6.19) increased the likelihood of intermediate to high CVD-risk. Conversely, having five or more meals per day decreased the odds (OR: 0.27; 95%CI: 0.08-0.92). Conclusion Eating window longer than 12 hours, eating after 10 p.m., less than four meals a day and omission of breakfast, are associated with cardiovascular risk in shift workers.