MICHAEL GODPOWERCHINEDU, EHALAIYE DORISNENLI, IBRAHIM HALIRU, FALAKI FATIMAAHMAD, SULEIMAN ABDULLAHIKABIR, GREMA BUKARALHAJI, MUTALUB YAHKUBBABATUNDE, MOHAMMED ABUBAKARABISO, OGWUCHE EMMANUEL, FIKIN AMINUGANGO, UMAR ZAINABABDULAZEEZ, ALIYU IBRAHIM, MADAKI JEREMIAHKUTAKABOI. Assessment of workhour feeding practices, healthy behaviour score and body mass index of physicians in Northern Nigeria: a cross-sectional multi-centre study.
JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND HYGIENE 2024;
65:E73-E82. [PMID:
38706772 PMCID:
PMC11066828 DOI:
10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2024.65.1.3171]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Background
The increasing prevalence of obesity and overweight among health workers calls for an appraisal of their lifestyle. This study assessed medical practitioners' workhour feeding and lifestyle practices and explored the relationship between these practices and their body mass index (BMI).
Methods
The survey involved 321 medical practitioners selected from 9 northern Nigeria hospitals in 2021. Data collected included biodata, medication history, workhour feeding characteristics, lifestyle behaviours, blood pressure, height, and weight measurements. Data were analyzed using Epi info software (version 7).
Results
Most respondents were male (70.7%). Their mean age was 38 ± 7.4 years. During their last workhours, 84.1% had lunch, and 46.4% took sugary drinks. Usually, 41.7% source their lunch from the hospital canteen, and 18.7% patronize their canteen at least weekly. Most reported healthy behaviour towards alcohol consumption (99.7%), fruit and vegetable consumption (54.8%) and smoking (98.4%). However, only 22.4% were physically active. Their mean healthy behaviour score and BMI were 2.8 ± 0.7 and 26.1 ± 4.6 kg/m2, respectively. The obesity and overweight rates were 18.4% and 37.7%, respectively. Their source of lunch during workhours, age, sex, years of practice, employment duration, marital status, job category, systolic blood pressure, anti-hypertensive, and antidiabetic medication use were significantly associated with mean BMI. However, only antihypertensive medication use, being married, inadequate fruit/vegetable consumption and workhour sugary drinks consumption predicted obesity. The predictors of overweight/obese were years of practice (< 10 y) and use of antihypertensive medications.
Conclusions
Obesity and overweight rates were high. Most were physically inactive. Workhour sugary drink consumption predicted obesity. Effective workplace and community interventions to improve practitioners' lifestyle behaviour and curtail obesity and overweight are needed.
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