Association between shift work in early pregnancy, snacking, and inappropriate weight gain during pregnancy: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between night shifts and snacking behaviors during pregnancy using Japanese maternal-infant longitudinal data from a large-scale study. METHODS: This study used the Japan Environment and Children’s Study dataset jecs-ta-20190930, released in October 2019. After simple analysis using analysis of variance and multiple comparisons, crude odds ratios (cOR) and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were calculated. To evaluate eating habits, we examined habitual fast food and snacks (e.g., potato chips, corn puffs and tortilla chips) consumption, midnight snacks, and regular missing breakfast. RESULTS: There was no significant association between inappropriate weight gain during pregnancy and night shift work in early pregnancy. The aOR for consuming snacks more than once a week after noticing pregnancy for shift workers was 1.34 (95% confidence interval 1.27–1.41; p < 0.001) compared with worker without night shiftwork. The aOR for shift workers consuming fast food more than three times a week during pregnancy was 1.40 (95% confidence interval 0.79–2.33; p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant night shift workers did not show excessive weight gain but had an increased frequency of consumption of snack foods compared with pregnant dayshift workers.