Physical and psychosocial wellbeing of nurses in a regional Queensland hospital

Occupational stress is common among nurses. Two factors that may influence stress levels are diet and physical activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diets and physical activity levels of nurses and to quantify the relationships between these behaviours and anxiety, depressed mood, stress, and burnout. Nurses (N = 52) from one regional hospital completed a survey assessing physical activity, nutrition, and psychological functioning. Almost two-thirds (65%) of participants had met recommended levels of both moderate and vigorous physical activity in the week prior. Participants met recommended levels for fruit, but not vegetable, consumption. Burnout and stress levels were close to norms for physicians and nurses. Scores for depressed mood, anxiety, and stress symptoms were within one standard deviation of norms for the Australian adult population. Several moderately sized correlations were found between the psychological constructs measured and both physical activity and nutrition. Although most of the participants were physically active and seemed to be consuming nutritious diets, some nurses may need encouragement to adopt similarly healthy behaviours.