Eating Behaviour and Its Associations with Overweight among Nurses on Shift Duty in Teaching Hospital
Eating Behavior and Overweight among Nurses
Abstract
Overweight and obesity have become a global concern and estimated with more than 1.9 billion adults worldwide were overweight and more than 650 million were obese in 2016. Nurses in Malaysia were no exception to overweight and obesity. This research was conducted with the aim to identify the prevalence of overweight among nurses on shift duty in a teaching hospital and to understand the relationship between abnormal eating behavior and body mass index. A total of 280 respondents participated in this research and Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire was used. Body Mass Index (BMI) score was categorized according to Clinical Practice Guidelines 2004. Results showed that 68.5% of the nurses were either overweight (37.1%) or obese (31.4%). The nurses’ BMI does not showed any association with socio-demographic data except age (r=0.156). As age increases, the nurses’ BMI also increase. This research also showed that there was no association between emotional and external eating behavior to BMI. However, there was a statistically significant differences in BMI for restraint eating (F=6.056, p=0.003). In conclusion, restraint eating behavior was the most practiced form of eating behavior in an attempt to achieve the ideal body weight but unfortunately lead to overweight among the nurses. Overweight or obese nurses will have a negative impression to the society and even reduce their confidence towards nurses’ health education. Overweight or obesity also ruined the nurses’ working performance and quality of care for patients. This issue requires immediate action and interventions to promote healthy lifestyles and eating habits among nurses should be conducted in the hospital.
Keywords :
eating behavior,
nurse,
overweight,
Abstrak
Berat badan berlebihan dan obesiti telah menjadi satu isu global yang dibimbangi. Lebih daripada 1.9 bilion orang dewasa di seluruh dunia menghadapi berat badan berlebihan dan lebih daripada 650 juta yang obes pada tahun 2016. Jururawat Malaysia juga tidak terkecuali daripada masalah berat badan berlebihan. Kajian telah dijalankan untuk mengkaji kelaziman berat badan berlebihan dan hubungan antara tabiat pemakanan dan berat badan berlebihan di antara jururawatan yang kerja shif di Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Sebanyak 280 responden telah menyertai kajian ini dan tabiat pemakanan dikaji menggunakan Tabiat Pemakanan Belanda Versi Melayu. Indeks jisim badan telah dikategorikan mengikut “Clinical Practice Guidelines 2004”. Hasil kajian menunjukkan 68.5% daripada jururawat mempunyai berat badan berlebihan (37.1%) atau obes (31.4%). BMI jururawat tidak menunjukkan hubungan dengan data sosio-demografi kecuali umur (r=0.156). Apabila umur meningkat, indeks jisim badan akan meningkat. Manakala, kajian menunjukkan ketiadaan hubungan di antara tabiat pemakanan secara emosi dan secara pengaruh luar tetapi tabiat pemakanan secara kawal menunjukkan hubungan yang ketara dengan indeks jisim badan (F = 6.056, p = 0.003). Kesimpulannya, tabiat pemakanan secara terkawal paling diamalkan oleh jururawat dengan tujuan untuk mencapai berat badan ideal tetapi usaha tersebut tidak berhasil dan menyebabkan berat badan meningkat. Jururawat yang berat badan berlebihan atau obes akan meninggalkan imej buruk kepada masyarakat serta merendahkan kayakinan masyarakat terhadap jururawat. Selain itu, masalah berat badan berlebihan akan menjejaskan prestasi kerja jururawat serta kualiti penjagaan kepada pesakit. Isu ini perlu ditangani dengan segera. Oleh itu, gaya hidup dan tabiat pemakanan yang sihat di antara jururawat harus digalakkan di hospital.
Kata Kunci :
berat badan berlebihan,
jururawat,
tabiat pemakanan,
Correspondance Address
Hng Siew Hong. Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: +603-91456261 Email: hng@ppukm.ukm.edu.my
