Evaluation of Diet Quality, Work Stress and Anxiety Status of White and Blue Collar Industrial Workers

Aims: This study examines the relationship between nutritional quality, work stress, and anxiety of individuals working in different positions in industrial organizations. Material and Methods: This study was conducted with a total of 132 volunteers, 45 white-collar and 87 blue- collar, between the agStress Scale and Beck Anxiety Inventory for work stress and anxiety measurements and the Healthy Eating Index- 2015 (HEI-2015) for diet quality, using 24-hour food records. Results: In this research, 48.9% of white-collar employees and 49.4% of blue-collar employees experience high levels of job stress (p>0.05). Anxiety was found in 48.9% of white-collar workers and 39.1% of blue-collar workers (p>0.05). The diet quality of 75.6% of white-collar workers and 72.4% of blue-collar workers was poor. Statistically significant differences were identified when comparing job stress with the Beck Anxiety Inventory and HEI-2015 results (p=0.005 and p=0.030, respectively). Blue-collar industrial workers reported higher daily energy intake (2277.3 kcal) and carbohydrates (295.5±77.50 g/day) compared to white-collar workers (energy 1979.1 kcal; carbohydrates 261.2±78.61 g/day), with significant differences in calorie and carbohydrate consumption (p=0.015). Noteworthy dietary habits influencing work stress included skipping snacks (p<0.001) and lunch (p<0.001). Work stress was found to exacerbate anxiety and negatively affect diet quality (p<0.05). No differences between blue and white-collar workers were observed in work stress, Beck anxiety, and HEI-2015 scale data (p>0.05). Conclusion: Work-related stress is pivotal in employees' physical and psychological well-being and diet quality. Developing strategies to enhance diet quality within organizations can aid in alleviating work stress and anxiety.