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The Role of the Exposome and Nutrition in Body Composition: Implications for Health and Disease

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2025 | Viewed by 907

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Body composition and metabolic regulation are shaped by a complex interplay among dietary habits, nutrient intake, and environmental exposures. The exposome—encompassing all environmental influences across a lifetime, including diet, pollutants, and lifestyle factors—plays a crucial role in metabolic health, inflammation, and chronic disease risk. Among these factors, emerging contaminants such as microplastics are gaining attention for their potential to disrupt the gut microbiota, interfere with nutrient absorption, and contribute to metabolic dysregulation. This Special Issue will explore how nutrition and environmental exposures influence body composition, highlighting the implications for health and disease, with particular reference to dietary patterns, nutrient bioavailability, and the impact of contaminants on metabolic and physiological processes.

Dr. Paola Gualtieri
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • diet
  • eating behaviour
  • body composition
  • DXA
  • BIA
  • energy expenditure
  • clinical nutrition
  • exposome
  • microbiota
  • chronic non-communicable disease

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 818 KB  
Article
Exploring Body Composition and Eating Habits Among Nurses in Poland
by Anna Bartosiewicz, Katarzyna Dereń, Edyta Łuszczki, Magdalena Zielińska, Justyna Nowak, Anna Lewandowska and Piotr Sulikowski
Nutrients 2025, 17(16), 2686; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17162686 - 20 Aug 2025
Viewed by 674
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Nurses play a vital role in healthcare, yet their demanding working conditions, including long hours, shift work, and stress, can negatively impact health behaviors. In Poland, empirical data on nurses’ eating habits and body composition remain limited. Therefore, this study aimed [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Nurses play a vital role in healthcare, yet their demanding working conditions, including long hours, shift work, and stress, can negatively impact health behaviors. In Poland, empirical data on nurses’ eating habits and body composition remain limited. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate body composition and dietary habits among nurses, and to identify significant relationships and associations between these variables. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 460 Polish nurses. The mean age of the respondents was 45.07 years (SD ± 11.98). Body composition was assessed using the Tanita MC-780 PLUS MA analyzer, and eating behaviors were measured with the standardized My Eating Habits questionnaire (MEH). Advanced statistical analyses including k-means clustering, ANOVA, chi-square tests, Spearman’s correlation, ROC curves, decision tree modeling, and heatmap visualization were used to identify associations. Results: The MEH scores among nurses indicated average eating behavior. However, excess body fat, overweight/obesity, shift work, and holding multiple jobs were significantly associated with emotional overeating, habitual overeating, and restrictive eating. Decision tree analysis identified Body Mass Index (BMI), fat-free mass (FFM) and comorbidities as key predictors of problematic eating patterns. Interaction effects showed that shift work combined with higher BMI further increased the risk of maladaptive behaviors. Heatmaps confirmed the strongest MEH scores in participants with elevated BMI and FFM. Conclusions: The findings underscore the need for targeted workplace interventions promoting healthy eating and weight control among nurses. Recognizing risk factors such as excess weight or multiple job holding can aid in designing effective prevention and health promotion strategies tailored to healthcare professionals. Full article
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