Nutrient Intake and Adherence to Dietary Recommendations Among US Workers

OBJECTIVE: To assess nutrient intake according to dietary guidelines among US worker groups. METHODS: Participants of 1999 to 2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey completed two 24-hour recall dietary interviews to assess daily intake of protein, carbohydrate, fat, cholesterol, calcium, sodium, and fiber. Employed participants (n = 8987) were classified as (1) white collar, (2) service worker, (3) farmer, and (4) blue collar. RESULTS: Nutrient intake varied by occupational group, particularly for fiber, sodium, calories, and percentage of calories from protein, saturated fat, and carbohydrate. Adherence to recommendations was noted for saturated fat and cholesterol, but workers were poorly adherent to recommendations for all other nutrients, particularly fiber. CONCLUSIONS: Workers display differences in nutrient intake across occupational groups with poor eating behaviors evident across all groups. Fiber is particularly poorly consumed, with less than 5% of all US workers meeting the recommendations.