Prevalence obesity and influencing factors among nurses in China: Systematic review

<b>Background:</b> Obesity is a global health problem, and since nurses are health promoters, they, too, are not shielded from this scourge. This systematic review will attempt to determine the current status of obesity, occupational risk factors, lifestyle practices, and demographic variance among the nurses of the global community.<br /> <b>Objectives: </b>This systematic review assesses the prevalence of obesity among nurses and identifies key risk factors, including occupational, socio-demographic, and lifestyle factors, contributing to obesity in this population.<br /> <b>Methods:</b> This work followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines with 42 papers incorporated in the systematic review after the search of the relevant databases. Screening criteria were developed based on the studies that reported the prevalence of obesity in the nurses’ samples, and standardized anthropometric measurements were used. Information was then gathered to estimate and document the worldwide prevalence of obesity and develop the risk factors.<br /> <b>Results:</b> The global pooled prevalence of obesity in nurses was determined to be 32.4%, and it varies within the regions and is concerned with the socio-demographic factors of the population. Some of the factors that were found to have a higher prevalence of obesity include nurses, shift workers, people with chronic occupational stress, and those who use food as a way of dealing with their emotions. Therefore, the study established that age, gender, ethnicity, and SES were significant predictors of obesity, and its associated risks were higher among older and female nurses, ethnic minorities, and nurses of lower SES.<br /> <b>Conclusion: </b>This review acknowledges the complex interplay between occupational, lifestyle, and socio-demographic factors that contribute to the risk of obesity among nurses. Factors such as stress, stress-induced eating, irregular working hours, and limited physical activity significantly increase obesity rates. Additionally, socio-demographic characteristics, such as older age and minority ethnic backgrounds, further elevate the risk of obesity among nurses.