NUTRITIONAL HEALTH CHALLENGES AND LIFESTYLE PATTERNS AMONG NURSES IN THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, KERALA
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Authors
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MEERA D K
PG Dept of Home Science and Research Centre, Govt College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala-695014
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SUMA DIVAKAR
PG Dept of Home Science and Research Centre, Govt College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala-695014
Keywords:
Dietary habits, Lifestyle patterns, Nutritional status, Work-life balanceAbstract
This research conducted in 2019-20, aimed to assess the lifestyle patterns and nutritional
status of nurses using a crosssectional, comparative approach with purposive sampling. The
study included 500 registered female nurses, aged 25–45 years, from government and private
hospitals in rural and urban regions of Thiruvananthapuram city. Findings revealed unhealthy
lifestyle habits among nurses in both sectors, including insufficient physical activity (72% in
government hospitals; 78% in private hospitals), inadequate sleep (51% and 56%, respectively),
insufficient work breaks and difficulty in managing worklife balance. Underweight conditions were
observed in 41% of government and 47% of private hospital nurses, together with poor dietary
practices (40% and 70%, respectively). Biochemical analyses revealed high prevalence rates of
anemia (50% in both sectors), diabetes (33% and 25%) and hypercholesterolemia (42% in both).
These findings underscore critical gaps in nurses’ health and lifestyles, calling for urgent staff
development initiatives and training programs by hospital authorities and policymakers to improve
nurses’ well-being and care quality.
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