OCCUPATIONAL, COMMUTING AND LEISURE PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK FACTORS AMONG BLUE-COLLAR WORKERS

Abstract

Background: The role of Physical activity in the protection from cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDr) is well known but the role of occupational and commuting physical activities is still controversial. Blue-collar workers constitute a group where the association of occupational and commuting activities to CVDr is still unclear. Objective: is to identify the effect of occupational and occupationally related physical activities on CVDr among blue collar-collar workers. Study design: Through a cross sectional study, the occupational, commuting and leisure physical activities of a representativesample of 356 blue-collar workers were evaluated by interview questionnaire. Their clinical profile {body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHr), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP)} and biochemical profile {total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides(TG), High density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), fasting blood sugar (FBS), and glycosylated Hemoglobin (Hb A1c)} were measured. Results: The rate and median duration of occupational, commuting and leisure physical activities were low. The mean of all evaluated anthropometricand biochemical parameters were within the desired levels except BMI (26.28). The occupational activity and the total sum of all types of activities were negatively and significantly correlating with all clinical parameters of CVDr, while their correlation with all biochemical parameters were non-significant. The association between other types of activities (commuting and leisure activities) and both clinical and biochemical parameters of CVDr were not significant. The clinical and biochemical profiles of CVDr were not significantly different according to subcategory job title (skilled, unskilled and service workers). Conclusion: Occupational activity was significantly associated with more favorable cardiovascular risk profile while other types of activities (commuting and leisure) were not significantly associated with better profile. Recommendations: Encouragement of commuting and leisure activities among blue collar workers (BCW)is recommended to prevent CVDr. Further studies are needed to explore the role of job stress and nutritional habits in increasing incidence of CVD in BCW.