Background: Shift work (SW) can contribute to metabolic disorders affecting biological rhythms, inducing sleep deprivation, decreasing the resting metabolic rate, and changing dietary habits and eating behaviors. This study aims to assess the relationship of SW on physical and metabolic parameters, including the metabolic syndrome (MetS), and the contributing role of sleep quality, chronotype, chrononutrition, and the Mediterranean diet. Methods: Shift and nonshift workers underwent medical examinations and lab tests. MetS was diagnosed using the National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Chrononutrition Profile, Morning-Eveningness, and Prevention through Mediterranean Diet questionnaires were used to explore factors potentially affecting the development of metabolic disorders. Results: Shift (n = 172) and nonshift workers (n = 177), primarily employed in healthcare and social activities and in the education and administrative sectors, were enrolled. Mean systolic blood pressure levels were significantly higher in shift workers compared to the daytime counterpart (121.0 ± 12.9 vs.117.5 ± 13.2 mmHg, p = 0.013). MetS was significantly more frequent in the former group (25.6% vs.13.7%, p = 0.006). Higher percentages of shift workers compared to daytime workers, had poor quality of sleep (37.8% vs. 27.1%, p = 0.033), an evening chronotype (14% vs. 6.8%, p = 0.010), and high adherence to the Mediterranean diet (65.7% vs. 43.5%, p < 0.001), while no differences emerged for the chrononutrition profile. SW represents a risk factor for MetS, although its development results from the interaction of personal lifestyle, dietary habits, chronotype, chrononutrition, sleep quality, and occupational factors. Conclusion In the perspective of the Total Worker Health approach to workplace safety, health, and well-being, such an interplay should be addressed.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic represented a unique stressful event that affected the physical health and psychological well-being (PWB) of individuals and communities. Monitoring PWB is essential not only to clarify the burden on mental health effects but also to define targeted psychological-supporting measures. This cross-sectional study evaluated the PWB of Italian firefighters during the pandemic. Methods: Firefighters recruited during the pandemic period filled out a self-administered questionnaire, the Psychological General Well-Being Index, during the health surveillance medical examination. This tool is usually used to assess the global PWB and explores six subdomains: anxiety, depressed mood, positive well-being, self-control, general health, and vitality. The influencing roles of age, gender, working activities, COVID-19, and pandemic restrictive measures were also explored. Results: A total of 742 firefighters completed the survey. The aggregate median PWB global score was in the “no distress” range (94.3 ± 10.3), which was higher than that observed in studies conducted using the same tool in the Italian general population during the same pandemic period. Similar findings were observed in the specific subdomains, thus suggesting that the investigated population was in good PWB condition. Interestingly, significantly better outcomes were detected in the younger firefighters. Conclusion Our data showed a satisfactory PWB situation in firefighters that could be related to different professional factors such as work organization and mental and physical training. In particular, our results would suggest the hypothesis that in firefighters, maintaining a minimum/moderate level of physical activity (consisting of even just going to work) might have a profoundly positive impact on psychological health and well-being.