An investigation of job stress, intuitive eating, physical activity, and nutritional status of white-collar employees in the Turkish Defense Industry

This study was conducted between April 2024 and March 2025 with a total of 152 participants aged 24–64 years, who were employed as white-collar workers in defense industry companies located in Ankara. Face-to-face surveys were administered to the participants to collect general demographic information, assess work-related stress levels using the Work Stress Scale, determine intuitive eating levels using the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2), evaluate physical activity levels using the Physical Activity Scale-2 (PAS-2), and assess dietary habits with a Food Frequency Questionnaire. The mean age of the participants was 35.0±7.3 years. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 22.1±2.86 kg/m² for women and 27.0±4.47 kg/m² for men. Regarding eating habits, 82.9% of participants reported skipping meals, with breakfast being the most commonly skipped meal (72.2%). Examination of work stress levels indicated that 19.9% of participants exhibited stress levels likely to adversely affect health and productivity, 15.2% had mild stress with a stimulating aspect, 34.4% demonstrated stress considered favorable for health and productivity, and 30.5% experienced stress that, while potentially appealing in some respects, posed health risks due to high stimulation. It was found that participants who worked overtime had significantly higher work stress levels compared to those who did not (p<0.05). Regarding physical activity, 98.9% of men and all women met recommended activity levels. The mean physical activity level was 2269.6±202.95 MET for men and 2193.9±156.82 MET for women, with men demonstrating significantly higher physical activity levels than women (p<0.05). Analysis of intuitive eating revealed that men scored significantly higher than women on unconditional permission to eat, eating for physical rather than emotional reasons, and total intuitive eating, whereas women scored significantly higher on reliance on hunger and satiety cues (p<0.05). A weak negative correlation was observed between total work stress scores and body–food choice congruence (r=-0.187, p<0.05), as well as total intuitive eating scores (r=-0.164, p<0.05). Among women, a weak negative correlation was identified between body weight and total intuitive eating scores (r=-0.287, p<0.05), while among men, body weight showed a strong negative correlation with total intuitive eating scores (r=-0.545, p<0.001), and BMI showed a strong negative correlation with total intuitive eating scores (r=-0.565, p<0.001). Furthermore, a significant positive relationship was found between intuitive eating behaviors and physical activity levels (p<0.05). Conversely, a significant negative relationship was identified between intuitive eating behaviors and work stress levels (p<0.05). These findings suggest that high work-related stress may hinder healthy eating habits, whereas physical activity may serve as a supportive factor in promoting intuitive eating. It is considered that workplace interventions aimed at reducing stress could positively influence intuitive eating behaviors and contribute to the overall health status of employees.