The impact of a meal, snack, or not eating during the night shift on simulated driving performance post-shift

• Main Authors: Charlotte C Gupta, Stephanie Centofanti, Jillian Dorrian, Alison M Coates, Jacqueline M Stepien, David Kennaway, Gary Wittert, Leonie Heilbronn, Peter Catcheside, Georgia A Tuckwell, Daniel Coro, Dilushi Chandrakumar, Siobhan Banks
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH) 2021-01-01
• Series: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health
• Subjects: driving performance; meal timing; driving; shift work; night shift; meal pattern; eating; nocturnal eating; cognition; meal; snack
• Online Access: https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=3934
• ISSN: 0355-3140; 1795-990X

OBJECTIVE: The commute home following a night shift is associated with an increased risk for accidents. This study investigated the relationship between food intake during the night shift and simulated driving performance post-shift. METHODS: Healthy non-shift working males (N=23) and females (N=16), aged 18–39 years (mean 24.5, standard deviation 5.0, years) participated in a seven-day laboratory study and underwent four simulated night shifts. Participants were randomly allocated to one of three conditions: meal at night (N=12; 7 males), snack at night (N=13; 7 males) or no eating at night (N=14; 9 males). During the night shift at 00:30 hours, participants either ate a large meal (meal at night condition), a snack (snack at night condition), or did not eat during the night shift (no eating at night condition). During the second simulated night shift, participants performed a 40-minute York driving simulation at 20:00, 22:30, 01:30, 04:00, and 07:30 hours (similar time to a commute from work). RESULTS: The effects of eating condition, drive time, and time-on-task, on driving performance were examined using mixed model analyses. Significant condition×time interactions were found, where at 07:30 hours, those in the meal at night condition displayed significant increases in time spent outside of the safe zone (percentage of time spent outside 10 km/hour of the speed limit and 0.8 meters of the lane center; P<0.05), and greater lane and speed variability (both P<0.01) compared to the snack and no eating conditions. There were no differences between the snack and no eating conditions. CONCLUSION: Driver safety during the simulated commute home is greater following the night shift if a snack, rather than a meal, is consumed during the shift.