Work Hours and Perceived Time Barriers to Healthful Eating Among Young Adults

OBJECTIVE: To describe time-related beliefs and behaviors regarding healthful eating, indicators of dietary intake, and their associations with the number of weekly hours of paid work among young adults. METHODS: Population-based study in a diverse cohort (N=2287). RESULTS: Working > 40 hours per week was associated with time-related barriers to healthful eating most persistently among young adult men. Associations were found among females working both part-time and > 40 hours per week with both time-related barriers and dietary intake. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that intervention strategies, ideally those addressing time burden, are needed to promote healthful eating among young, working adults.