Abstract
BackgroundPrevious evidence suggests that there is a correlation between prolonged sitting time and cardio-metabolic disease, such as metabolic syndrome (MS). Cardiovascular disease is the second-leading cause of mortality in South Korea, a country with the longest working hours among all member states of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. However, no previous study has investigated the relationships of overall sitting-time and occupation with MS in South Korea. Accordingly, the present study examined these relationships in a South Korean population.MethodsData from the sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), a nationally representative survey with a cross-sectional design, were used in the present study. MS diagnoses were evaluated using the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) criteria. Participants self-reported their overall sitting times, and occupations were classified using the Korean version of the Standard Classification of Occupations (KSCO). A multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the associations of sitting time and occupation with MS.ResultsThe risk of MS was 1.21-fold higher among participants who sat for >7 h/day than among those who sat for ≤7 h/day (odds ratio [OR]: 1.21, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.00–1.46). Regarding occupation, office workers had a two-fold higher risk of MS than did agriculture, forestry, and fishery (AFF) workers (OR: 2.01, 95 % CI: 1.26–3.22). In a combined analysis of sitting time and occupation, male participants who sat for >7 h/day and reported an occupation that involves office work (OW) or machine fitting (MF) were significantly more likely to have MS when compared to those who sat for ≤7 h/day and were employed as AFF workers (>7 h/day × OW, OR: 2.41, 95 % CI: 1.05–5.51; >7 h/day × MF, OR: 2.92, 95 % CI: 1.43–5.93).ConclusionsExcessive sitting time and a sedentary occupation correlated positively with MS in South Korean adults. Accordingly, a reduction in the overall sitting time or inclusion of energy-expending activities in the workplace might improve the rate of MS.
Highlights
Previous evidence suggests that there is a correlation between prolonged sitting time and cardiometabolic disease, such as metabolic syndrome (MS)
Participant and database information This study used data collected during the second year (2014) of the sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), which was conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease, Control, and Prevention of South Korea (KCDC)
Men who sat for >7 h/day and reported office work or machine fitting as their occupation were significantly more likely to report MS relative to those who sat for ≤7 h/day and worked in an AFF position (>7 h/day × OW, odds ratio (OR): 2.41, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.05–5.51; >7 h/day × MF, OR: 2.92, 95 % CI: 1.43–5.93); no statistically significant association was observed for women
Summary
Previous evidence suggests that there is a correlation between prolonged sitting time and cardiometabolic disease, such as metabolic syndrome (MS). Cardiovascular disease is the second-leading cause of mortality in South Korea, a country with the longest working hours among all member states of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Several epidemiologic studies have suggested a relationship between sedentary behavior, distinguished from a mere lack of physical activity, and adverse health outcomes such as obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, MS, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and death [6,7,8]. The working hours reported by Korean adults are among the longest recorded for citizens of member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) [22]; people likely spend their most of their waking hours at the workplace and are exposed to adverse health outcomes related to prolonged sitting times, such as MS
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