Factors influencing healthcare professionals’ lifestyle in a Middle Eastern emergency medical service: A cross-sectional study

Background: Staff well-being is crucial for adequate pre-hospital care provision, with eating habits representing a critical yet understudied determinant of health outcomes amongst paramedics. This study explored factors influencing eating behaviours and their associations with body mass index (BMI) categories amongst paramedics at Hamad Medical Corporation Ambulance Service (HMCAS) in Qatar.

Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 341 HMCAS paramedics using a validated online survey (Content Validity Index = 0.87; Cronbach’s alpha = 0.70). Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Fisher’s exact tests with Monte Carlo simulation, and multinomial logistic regression (MLR) with normal BMI as the reference outcome, supported by multicollinearity and sparse-data diagnostics and a penalised sensitivity analysis.

Results: The predominantly male sample (93%, n = 317) exhibited higher rates of overweight (53%) and obesity (26%) compared to females (mean BMI: 27.9 ± 3.5 versus 25.5 ± 4.5, p = 0.001). Marital status was significantly associated with BMI categories in the bivariate analyses. In the adjusted MLR, female sex was associated with a lower relative risk of being overweight (RRR = 0.199, 95% CI: 0.057 – 0.694), frequently having meals interrupted during shifts with a higher relative risk of being overweight (RRR = 3.364, 95% CI: 1.430 – 7.913), and employment length of 6 – 10 years with a higher relative risk of obesity (RRR = 3.822, 95% CI: 1.551 – 9.417). Fatigue-related eating showed a positive but statistically non-significant association with being overweight once sparse response categories were collapsed.

Conclusion: Sex, employment length, and shift-related meal interruption were independently associated with BMI categories. Pre-hospital care organisations need to support and remind their staff about healthy lifestyle and eating habits, so they remain in optimal shape to care for their patient and prevent diet-related health issues. Moreover, occupational health practitioners should advocate for protected meal breaks, culturally adapted nutrition education, fatigue management, and improved food facilities to reduce obesity risk in emergency medical service staff.