Pro-Inflammatory Dietary Patterns Are Associated With Dyslipidemia, Poor Body Composition, and Sleep Quality Among Healthcare Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

backgroundHealthcare workers are at elevated risk for metabolic disorders due to occupational stress, irregular eating habits, frequent consumption of takeout food, and limited physical activity. Despite this, the link between dietary inflammatory potential and cardiometabolic health in this population remains underexplored. This study is the first to examine the association between the energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII) and metabolic health indicators among healthcare professionals in China.

methodsA total of 427 healthcare workers from a tertiary hospital participated in this cross-sectional study. Demographic and physical activity data were collected via structured questionnaires. Biochemical markers-including lipid profiles, glucose, liver enzymes, and uric acid-were obtained through standard blood tests. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), while dietary intake over the past 3 months was evaluated with a 25-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ-25). E-DII scores were calculated to reflect the inflammatory potential of participants' diets. Logistic and linear regression models were used to assess associations between E-DII scores and dyslipidemia and body composition parameters, adjusting for potential confounders.

resultsParticipants in the highest E-DII tertile had an approximately twofold increased risk of dyslipidemia compared to those in the lowest tertile (OR = 2.163, 95% CI: 1.209-3.868). Each one-unit increase in E-DII score was associated with a 47% higher odds of dyslipidemia (OR = 1.470, 95% CI: 1.100-1.966). Higher E-DII scores were also positively associated with LDL cholesterol, fasting glucose, uric acid, BMI, body fat percentage, visceral fat area, and sleep disturbances.

conclusionDiets with a higher inflammatory potential are significantly associated with adverse metabolic profiles and abnormal body composition among healthcare workers. These findings underscore the urgent need for workplace interventions promoting anti-inflammatory diets and healthy lifestyle behaviors to mitigate cardiometabolic risk in this vulnerable population.