Cardiovascular risk factors among oil refinery workers: ecological study

Temporal patterns of food consumption and their association with cardiovascular risk in rotating shift workers

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to evaluate the association of temporal patterns of food consumption with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included male rotating shift workers in an iron ore extraction company. Data on food consumption was collected using a 24 h recall, applied by trained interviewers. The variables for temporal patterns of food consumption were: eating window, eating at night, number of meals and omission of breakfast. CVD-risk was measured by calculating the Framingham coronary heart disease risk score (FCRS), and classified as low risk or intermediate to high risk. Descriptive, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses examined the association between variables related to temporal patterns of food consumption and CVD-risk.

RESULTS

The study assessed 208 workers, the majority with 20-34 years (45.1%), non-white (77.2%), and 5 years or more in shift work (76.0%). Most participants had a feeding window exceeding 12 h (63.9%), consumed meals until 10 p.m. (68.1%), had five or more meals per day (54.8%), and did not skip breakfast (86.5%). Regarding CVD-risk, 43.8% of the participants were classified with intermediate to high risk for CVD. In the multivariate model, a feeding window (OR: 2.32; 95%CI: 1.01-5.35), eating after 10 p.m. (OR: 3.31; 95%CI: 1.01-11.0), and skipping breakfast (OR: 2.58; 95%CI: 1.07-6.19) increased the likelihood of intermediate to high CVD-risk. Conversely, having five or more meals per day decreased the odds (OR: 0.27; 95%CI: 0.08-0.92).

CONCLUSION

Eating window longer than 12 h, eating after 10 p.m., less than four meals a day and omission of breakfast, are associated with cardiovascular risk in shift workers.

Occupational life-style programme over 12 months and changes of metabolic risk profile, vascular function, and physical fitness in blue-collar workers

PURPOSE

Occupational health programmes have been successfully implemented to improve body composition, physical fitness and cardiovascular risk. However, most programmes have been small and have not included long-term evaluation. Therefore, we evaluated a twelve-month life-style change programme in a German refinery.

METHODS

We offered a supervised six-week endurance exercise programme (2 × 90 min/week), starting after a two-day life-style seminar. After the active intervention and a half-day refresher seminar, employees were encouraged to continue exercising over one year on their own, with monthly supervised sessions to maintain adherence. Anthropometry, bicycle ergometry, cardio-metabolic risk profile, inflammatory parameters, and vascular function e.g. endothelial function was studied at baseline, after three and after twelve months.

RESULTS

Of 550 employees, n = 327 (age 40.8 ± 9.7 years, 88% males) participated in the study. Twelve-month intervention was associated with a reduced waist circumference (92.6 ± 12.2 to 90.8 ± 11.7 cm, 95% confidence interval for the mean change (CI): -2.5 to -1.1 cm) and a gain in maximal exercise capacity (202 ± 39.6 to 210 ± 38.9 Watt; 95% CI: + 5.1 to + 10.9 Watt). Metabolic and inflammatory parameters likewise HbA_1c and C-reactive protein improved in central tendency at a local 95% level of confidence. Vascular function e.g. Reactive-Hyperaemia-Index revealed a slight reduction, whereas no statistically robust changes in mean Cardio-Ankle-Vascular-Index and mean Ankle-Brachial-Index were observed.

CONCLUSION

Health education added by a six-week supervised exercise programme was associated with minor long-term twelve-month improvements of body composition as well as physical fitness and a concomitant improvement of inflammatory state. These changes were, however, not clinically relevant and not accompanied by statistically robust improvements of vascular function.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinTrialsGov: NCT01919632; date of registration: August 9, 2013; retrospectively registered.

Cardiovascular risk behavior among industrial workers in the Northeast of Brazil: a cluster analysis

This research aimed to investigate the occurrence of clusters of cardiovascular risk behaviors and their association with social demographic and occupational characteristics in a population of industrial workers in the metropolitan area of Recife, Brazil. It was a transversal study with 727 workers of both genders. We identified cluster distribution from the variables: smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity and waist circumference, by a combination of hierarchical and non-hierarchical analysis. We later tested the association with the social demographic and occupational variables with a multi-varied analysis. We have identified a protection cluster (sufficient physical activity, moderate alcohol consumption) and a risk cluster (high waist circumference, sedentarism, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption). The protection cluster was positively associated with night shift or variable shift work (RP: 1.66, IC95%: 1.26-2.17), and the risk cluster was associated with women (RP: 1.15, IC95%: 1.01-1.31). Cluster analysis allowed to identify that, for day shift workers and women, the shortest daytime outside the work environment can influence the adoption of cardiovascular risk behaviors.