Abstract
The American Heart Association criteria for cardiovascular health include overall diet quality (DQ). The present study evaluated the effect of a workplace health promotion program targeting DQ and physical activity on features of cardiometabolic risk (CMR). Before and after the 3-month intervention, 2260 employees (1462 men and 798 women) completed a health and fitness evaluation including assessment of DQ using a validated food-based questionnaire. After the 3-month lifestyle modification program, DQ increased significantly in both sexes (p < 0.0001) as well as physical activity level (p < 0.0001). A reduction in waist circumference (p < 0.0001) and improved lipid levels were also observed. Significant associations were found between changes in DQ index and changes in CMR variables in both men (standardized regression coefficients ranged from −0.19 (95% confidence interval: −0.26 to −0.12) to −0.29 (95% confidence interval: −0.34 to −0.25)) and women (standardized regression coefficients ranged from −0.18 (95% confidence interval: −0.25 to −0.11) to −0.27 (95% confidence interval: −0.41 to −0.13)). Multiple linear regression analyses showed a significant contribution of changes in the DQ index to the variation in some CMR variables, independent from changes in physical activity level and cardiorespiratory fitness. This study provides evidence that targeting DQ at the workplace is relevant to improve cardiometabolic health.
Highlights
According to the World Health Organization, 41 million deaths annually are attributed to noncommunicable diseases, representing 71% of worldwide mortality [1]
In a workplace-based lifestyle intervention program conducted in a sample of employees at high risk of Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and involving a team of health professionals, Rouseff et al [33] reported significant improvements in several cardiometabolic risk (CMR) markers such as percent body fat, blood pressure, lipid parameters, as well as cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF)
Greater improvements in CMR markers are expected in men since lifestyle interventions have a greater effect on CVD risk factors in higher-risk populations [17,33,36,37,38]
Summary
According to the World Health Organization, 41 million deaths annually are attributed to noncommunicable diseases, representing 71% of worldwide mortality [1]. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the first cause of deaths accounting for 31% of global deaths [2]. This proportion increases to 37% in people under the age of 70. The societal and economic burden linked to these diseases represents a major public health issue which may be not sustainable by health systems in the future. Such a situation emphasizes the relevance of developing upstream prevention strategies to slow the CVD tide and its associated socioeconomic consequences
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