(OR14-05-26) Protein Intakes Among US Workers Engaged in Physically Demanding Work in NHANES 2017-2020

Objectives: There is interest in protein from the consumer, food and beverage industry, and government stakeholders. One presently under-studied area is the role of protein in supporting individuals engaging in physically demanding work (PDW). PDW includes work requiring significant lifting, carrying, pushing/pulling, kneeling, stooping, crawling, and climbing activities in varied environmental conditions ranging from construction, agricultural, warehouse, and public safety settings. Like athletes, PDW may have a very high volume of activity-induced demands and may benefit from protein intakes exceeding the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA).

Methods: Using data from NHANES 2017-2020 we developed an approach to identify individuals engaged in physically demanding work defined as more than 10 hours of vigorous-equivalent work per week (2 hours of moderate work = 1 hour of vigorous work). Dietary protein intake patterns of individuals engaged in PDW were compared to nPDW and were adjusted for age group, gender, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status using three approaches: crude, energy-adjusted and per body weight. Analyses were limited to individuals reporting plausible dietary intakes based on their demographics and anthropometrics.

Results: Among 6,467 adults, we determined that 29% of adult workers (18-65y) in the US met our definition of PDW. We observed no difference in average protein intakes on an absolute (94.5 g/d for PDW vs. 95.0 g/d for nPDW; p=0.79), energy-adjusted (75.5 vs. 77.1 g/2000kcal; p=0.18) or per body weight (1.20 g/kg vs. 1.19 g/kg; p=0.91) basis. Gender-stratified analyses revealed no differences. There was no evidence of a dose-response between protein and the number of hours of physical work per week.

Conclusions: While protein intakes in this population generally exceeded the RDA, this population may have higher protein requirements due to high levels of activity. The primary finding that individuals engaged in PDW did not consume more protein than individuals not doing PDW is a potential area of future research. Understanding protein intake in this population should be an additional research priority.

Funding Sources: This work was funded by PepsiCo. The views expressed in this abstract are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position or policy of PepsiCo, Inc.