Page 88 - Petelin, Ana. 2024. Ed. Zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih | Health of the Working-Age and Older Adults. Zbornik prispevkov z recenzijo | Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press

concentration and sufficient amount of energy for work. Proper nutrition
at the workplace during the shifts and in night shifts, when the employee
is doing his work, also has a great impact on the well-being and health of
the workers. In this area, it would be necessary to carry out some more
research into the connection between night and shift work and its impact
on the quality of life of workers. In such types of training, it is good to
implement multidisciplinary cooperation of experts from major fields of
work, such as the fields of nutrition, exercise, and medicine.

Keywords: eating at work at night, nutrition at the workplace, night work
nutrition.

Introduction
Certain professions require employees to work night shifts, which are essen-
tial for maintaining uninterrupted services 24/7. Shift work involves working
88 outside of the regular daytime schedule, including late evenings, early morn-
ings, and overnight hours. Approximately 20% of the global workforce is en-
zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih | health of working-age and older adults
gaged in some form of shift work, which can be quite demanding and requires
exceptional concentration from employees. Working night shifts can disrupt
the body’s natural rhythm and lead to various health issues, impacting over-
all quality of life. One of the primary challenges of shift work is managing a
healthy diet and lifestyle alongside irregular eating and sleeping patterns. Shift
workers are at a higher risk for health problems, dietary imbalances, obesi-
ty, disrupted sleep and eating patterns, and other related health issues. Night
work is defined in Article 150. (ZDR-1, 2013). It is the type of work done between
11 p.m. and 6 a.m. the next day. If the working schedule specifies a night shift,
eight continuous hours between 10 pm and 7 am on the following day are con-
sidered night work. Article 151. The ZDR-1 (2013) defines the rights of workers
who perform night work or work at night. Employees who work night shifts are
entitled to special protections, including extended holiday entitlement, proper
nutrition during work hours, and skilled supervision of the work or production
process. If a personal physician determines that a night shift worker‘s health
may deteriorate, the employer must assign them suitable daytime work. Night
work is limited to one week unless the employee gives written consent to work
nights for a longer period. If the employee does not have organized transpor-
tation to and from work, the employer may not assign him to night work (Da-
ta, 2024).

Methods
In our research, we focused on examining the relationship between night shift
work and the dietary habits of workers. Our approach involved a descriptive
method, which included a critical review of literature obtained from the Pu-
bMed database using specific keywords such as „eating at work at night,“ „nu-
trition at the workplace,“ and „night work nutrition.“ We specifically sought
scientific literature published between 2018 and 2023, with a focus on freely ac-