280925
Variations in obesity, smoking, heavy drinking, and non-adherence to physical activity recommendations across occupations: Findings from a national sample
Raees Shaikh, MPH,
College of Public Health- Department of Health Promotion, Social and Behavioral Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Asia Sikora, PhD,
College of Public Health - Department of Health Promotion, Social and Behavioral Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Mohammad Siahpush, PhD,
Health Promotion, Social and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Background and Aim: The association between occupation and risk factors such as obesity, heavy alcohol consumption, smoking, and physical inactivity has been established. The recent economic recession has potentially caused changes in the risky health behaviors of workers. The aim of this study is to examine the most recent prevalence of obesity, heavy alcohol consumption, smoking, and leisure time physical activity (PA) across occupations, adjusting for many significant covariates. Methods: Data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey was used. Analysis was limited to adults, 18 years and older (n=27,157). Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted prevalence's of obesity, morbid obesity, current smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, and adherence to physical activity (PA) recommendations. Results: The highest prevalence of obesity, and morbid obesity, was among those in the community and social services occupations. The highest prevalence of smoking was among those in healthcare support occupations, heavy drinking was observed in the construction and extraction occupations, and non-adherence to PA recommendations was among those in the farming, fishing and forestry occupations. Occupational categories with high prevalence of obesity and current smoking were different from the categories observed in previous studies. Conclusion: With changing economic conditions changes in the occupational variations of certain risk factors may occur and policies and programs directed toward these risk factors have to re-focus to adapt to the changes. At the same time, some existing policies and programs need to be re-evaluated in the wake of consistent prevalence of certain risk factors in the same occupational categories.
Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Occupational health and safety
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Identify the differences in certain health risk factors across different occupations
Name the occupations with highest and lowest prevalence of smoking, heavy drinking, obesity and physical inactivity
Keyword(s): Risk Factors, Occupational Surveillance
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a PhD student currently working on my Dissertaion. My primary areas of research interest are tobacco use and obesity. I am interested in researching the prevalence of tobacco use related behaviors as well as obesity among special populations.
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.
