Summary
Occupational stress is common among nurses. Two factors that may influence stress
levels are diet and physical activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate
the diets and physical activity levels of nurses and to quantify the relationships
between these behaviours and anxiety, depressed mood, stress, and burnout. Nurses
(N = 52) from one regional hospital completed a survey assessing physical activity, nutrition,
and psychological functioning. Almost two-thirds (65%) of participants had met recommended
levels of both moderate and vigorous physical activity in the week prior. Participants
met recommended levels for fruit, but not vegetable, consumption. Burnout and stress
levels were close to norms for physicians and nurses. Scores for depressed mood, anxiety,
and stress symptoms were within one standard deviation of norms for the Australian
adult population. Several moderately sized correlations were found between the psychological
constructs measured and both physical activity and nutrition. Although most of the
participants were physically active and seemed to be consuming nutritious diets, some
nurses may need encouragement to adopt similarly healthy behaviours.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 01, 2013
Accepted:
February 28,
2013
Received in revised form:
February 11,
2013
Received:
November 26,
2012
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 Australian College of Nursing Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
