Research Report Food intake and circadian rhythms in shift workers with a high workload Maria Alice Altenburg de Assis a, * , Emil Kupek b , Markus Vinı ´cius Nahas c , France Bellisle d a Departamento de Nutric ¸a ˜o, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88010-970, Santa Catarina, Brazil b Departamento de Sau ´de Pu ´blica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88010-970, Santa Catarina, Brazil c Departamento de Educac ¸a ˜o Fı ´sica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88010-970, Santa Catarina, Brazil d INSERM U341, Hotel-Dieu, Place du Parvis Notre-Dame, 75181 Paris, France Received 8 April 2002; accepted 20 July 2002 Abstract Shift work is associated with nutritional and health problems. In the present study, the food intake of garbage collectors of the city of Florianopolis (Brazil) was investigated using a dietary survey method based on meal recording during 24 h and adapted for the Brazilian food context. Three different shifts (morning, afternoon, and night) were compared (n ¼ 22 per shift). Age, body weight and body mass index (BMI) were similar for all groups. Daily energy expenditure was high in all three shifts, especially in morning shift workers. No difference in daily energy intake was found, in spite of differences in food choices and circadian ingestion rhythms. Energy intake was high and close to levels previously reported in athletes. Several factors not associated with shifts had significant impact on ingestion: hour of the day, time since the last meal, age, and BMI. Ingested foods were analyzed in groups based on nutrient content. Shifts significantly influenced intake of starches, alcoholic drinks, and sweets. In different periods of the day, food and nutrient intake were considerably affected by shifts. The analysis of circadian distribution of food choices and nutrient intake is important in shift workers, because total daily intake may not reveal shift-associated differences. q 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Shift work; Nutrient intake; Food choices; Circadian rhythms Introduction In European countries and in the United States, shift work has increased during the last 50 years and at the present time, about 20% of the work force in industrialized countries do shift work (Niedhammer, Lert, & Marne, 1996a). In Brazil, there are no comparative data for the total population but some research performed in the area of metropolitan Sa ˜o Paulo suggest that 11% of the working population does shift work (Fisher, Costa, Taira, & Watanabe, 1995). Shift work in modern industrialized societies is necessary but it is associated with numerous health and lifestyle problems in workers. As a result of night and/or shift works, workers have to organize their food intake in meals and snacks taken at inhabitual hours (particularly at night) and that can be more irregular than eating events on holidays or those that occur during day shift. Most night shift workers sleep at times when day workers eat at least one of their habitual meals (Niedhammer, Lert, & Marne, 1996b). It has been established that more work accidents occur during certain day or night shifts (Fischer et al., 1993). In addition, night work or shift work could facilitate the development of certain pathologies such as cardiovascular or gastrointestinal diseases, perhaps as a result of the resynchronization of biological clocks, which impairs amount and quality of sleep, makes food intake irregular, or interferes with normal functions of the organism (Lennerna ¨s, Akersted, & Hambraeus, 1994b; Rutenfranz, Knauth, & Fisher, 1989; Waterhouse, Minors, Atkinson, & Benton, 1997). Most studies indicate that food intake is different in the night shift. There are no studies, however showing the influence of shift on food intake in worker with very high levels of energy expenditure. 0195-6663/03/$ - see front matter q 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/S0195-6663(02)00133-2 Appetite 40 (2003) 175–183 www.elsevier.com/locate/appet * Corresponding author. E-mail address: fdeassis@terra.com.br (M.A.A. de Assis).