247151 Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Some Occupational Categories and Its Preventive Implications

Wednesday, November 2, 2011: 1:06 PM

Fahmy Charl Fahmy III, Prof , Occupational Health Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
Mohamed Moselhi III, Prof , Occupational Health Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
Ragaa Elgazzar III, Prof , Occupational Health Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
Fathia Goda III, Prof , Occupational Health Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
Saeid Kandeil, Prof , Cardiology Department, MRI, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
Annika Rosengren, Prof , Preventive Cardiology, Goteborg University, Goteborg, Sweden
Background and Objective: Cardiovascular diseases present an increasing trend of morbidity and mortality in middle- and low-income countries especially among the productive sector of population with their known economic burden. The aim of this work was to identify the profile of cardiovascular risk factors in such communities among some occupational categories. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two of the public sector enterprises in Alexandria, Egypt. Male workers (n = 382) were included in the study. They were classified according to their occupational category into managerials (n = 147), executives (n = 119), and auxiliaries (n = 116). All participants were investigated for the different conventional coronary risk factors as well as the job stressors. Results showed that smoking, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia are the most common conventional coronary risk factors with significant differential distribution by the occupational category (p = 0.048, 0.008 & 0.001 respectively). Smoking was more prevalent among lower occupational categories; meanwhile, other risk factors were more prevalent among higher occupational categories than among other categories. Multiple regression analyses revealed significant effect for perceived strain of responsibility at work on systolic blood pressure and serum cholesterol even after adjustment for confounders (p = 0.01 & 0.02 respectively). Conclusion: It seems that occupational category as well as job stressors especially the perceived stress of responsibility at work are important factors in determining the cardiovascular risk profile in such communities. Control of modifiable risk factors should be considered in occupational health services to achieve the goal of healthy communities.

Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and prevention
Clinical medicine applied in public health
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Occupational health and safety

Learning Objectives:
Define modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in relation to occupational category in a given setting. Discuss the different occupational variables and stressors that may influence cardiovascular risk. Formulate preventive implications for the defined risk factors in OHS services.

Keywords: Occupational Health, Cardiorespiratory

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to be an abstract Author on the content I am responsible for because I am an assisstant professor of occupational health, I am experienced with occupational cardiology, and I have participated in the field work of this study aiming at worksite cardiovascular risk control.
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.