Dietary habits, dietary diversity, and the influence of work-related stress among male academic professionals in Ibadan, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

Rapid urbanisation and occupational demands have contributed to unhealthy dietary habits in Nigeria, particularly among professionals. Male academic professionals may be especially vulnerable to poor eating habits due to demanding schedules and work-related stress. We assessed dietary habits, dietary diversity, and the influence of work-related stress and other associated factors among male academic professionals in Ibadan, Nigeria.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 235 male academic professionals at selected universities and research institutes in Ibadan. Multistage sampling was employed for larger institutions, while a census approach was used for smaller institutions. Data were collected using a structured WHO STEPS-based questionnaire and a 24-hour recall-based Dietary Diversity Tool. Work-related stress and depression were assessed using the Workplace Stress Scale and the Male Depression Risk Scale-7, respectively. Descriptive statistics summarised participants’ characteristics and dietary habits. Binary logistic regression with a priori covariate selection was used to identify factors associated with dietary outcomes.

The mean age was 46.4 ± 9.5 years; the majority were married (88.1%), Christian (78.7%), PhD holders (67.7%), and university-based staff (72.3%), but 17.5% were current alcohol users. The distribution by rank was: early-career researcher (32.8%), mid-career (37.9%), and high-career (29.4%). Regarding their dietary habits,69.4%z skipped breakfast weekly, 61.7% snacked, and 30.2% ate out frequently. High dietary diversity was 55.7%. Muslims had lower odds of skipping breakfast (AOR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.07–0.35), whereas high professional rank had higher odds (AOR = 5.30; 95% CI: 1.33–21.14). Severe work-related stress predicted breakfast skipping (AOR = 3.49; 95% CI: 1.05–11.61). Higher income was associated with lower odds of frequent eating out, whereas both institution type and income predicted eating-out frequency. Moderate depression was associated with lower odds of achieving high dietary diversity (AOR = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.20–0.99). Work-related stress showed no significant association with dietary diversity.

Unhealthy dietary habits persist among male academic professionals despite relatively high dietary diversity. Work-related stress, professional rank, religion, income, and depression independently shape dietary outcomes in this population. Academic institutions should implement workplace nutrition programmes, structured meal break policies, stress management initiatives, and accessible healthy food options to improve dietary quality and overall well-being among academic professionals.