240987 Association between cardiovascular fitness and metabolic syndrome by occupation category

Sunday, October 30, 2011

John E. Lewis, PhD , Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL
John D. Clark III, PhD , Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, Miami, FL
William G. LeBlanc, PhD , Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine - NIOSH Research Group, Miami, FL
David J. Lee, PhD , Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Lora E. Fleming, MD, PhD , European Centre for Environment and Human Health (PCMD) and Univesity of Miami OHH Center and NIOSH Research Group, Miami, FL
Kristopher L. Arheart, EdD , Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine - NIOSH Research Group, Miami, FL
Alberto Caban-Martinez, MPH, CPH , Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Manuel Ocasio, BA , Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Frank C. Bandiera, MPH , Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Tainya C. Clarke, MPH, MS , Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Noella Dietz, PhD , Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, Leonard Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Diana Kachan, BS , Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Kathryn E. McCollister, PhD , Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
OBJECTIVE: Metabolic syndrome portends a significant risk for coronary arterial/cardiovascular disease. Low cardiovascular fitness is also a risk for all vascular and arterial diseases. The association between metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular fitness, and occupation category is undetermined among working U.S. adults.

METHODS: We analyzed data on 3,211 U.S. adults ages 18+ (representing 52,428,830 adults) from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the National Health Interview Survey, who were categorized as having metabolic syndrome (n=365) or not (n=2,846), underwent testing for cardiovascular fitness status to estimate VO2max, and reported their occupation category (41 groups).

RESULTS: For all occupations, estimated VO2max was 38.2 ml/kg/min (SE=0.7) and 40.7 ml/kg/min (SE=0.3) for workers with and without metabolic syndrome. Estimated VO2max was higher for those without metabolic syndrome for most occupation categories; particularly for waiters/waitresses (39.5, SE=1.0 vs. 27.2, SE=0.0 ml/kg/min), freight, stock, and material movers (45.9, SE=1.7 vs. 36.5, SE=1.7 ml/kg/min), sales supervisors/proprietors (42.8, SE=1.2 vs. 34.1, SE=2.7 ml/kg/min), personal service occupations (40.1, SE=1.2 vs. 33.4, SE=1.8 ml/kg/min), sales representatives, finance, business, and commodities (40.8, SE=1.4 vs. 34.3, SE=1.8 ml/kg/min), and teachers (40.0, SE=1.3 vs. 33.7, SE=3.1 ml/kg/min). Estimated VO2max was higher for those with metabolic syndrome for textile, apparel, and furnishings machine operators (55.2, SE=4.8 vs. 43.5, SE=4.3 ml/kg/min), fabricators, assemblers, and samplers (48.3, SE=8.0 vs. 40.5, SE=1.4 ml/kg/min), and material recording, scheduling, and distributing clerks (43.4, SE=2.4 vs. 38.1, SE=1.7 ml/kg/min).

CONCLUSION: Estimated VO2max is typically higher among workers who do not have metabolic syndrome across most occupational categories.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Occupational health and safety

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the relationship between metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular fitness level among working U.S. workers. 2. List the occupation categories with estimated VO2max levels that are higher for those without metabolic syndrome. 3. List the occupation categories with estimated VO2max levels that are higher for those with metabolic syndrome.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to be an abstract author because I am the Director of research on complementary and alternative medicine at the University of Miami and oversee a number of relevant projects.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Poster Session: Occupational health research
See more of: Occupational Health and Safety