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329468
Demographic, health-related, and work-related factors associated with body mass index among manufacturing workers in different age groups


Monday, November 2, 2015

Jennifer Garza, ScD, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT
Alicia Dugan, PhD, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
Pouran Faghri, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Amy Gorin, PhD, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Tania B. Huedo-Medina, PhD, Statistics & Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Anne Kenny, MD, UConn Center on Aging, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
Martin Cherniack, MD, MPH, Department Of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, UConn Health Center, Farmington, CT
Jennifer Cavallari, ScD, CIH, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
Background and Objective: Effective workplace interventions that consider the multifactorial nature of obesity are needed to reduce and prevent obesity among adults. Furthermore, the factors associated with obesity may differ for workers of different ages. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify demographic, health-related, and work-related factors associated with differences in body mass index (BMI) among manufacturing workers in different age groups.

Methods: BMIs of 758 manufacturing workers from six companies were objectively measured. Age and demographic, health-related, and work-related factors were also assessed via questionnaire. All variables were included in linear regression models to identify factors associated with baseline and changes in BMI for workers in 3 age groups: <45 years (35%), 45-55 years (37%), >55 years (28%).

Results: Being interested in changing weights was significantly (p<0.01) associated with higher BMI across all age categories. Other factors associated with higher BMI included: male gender (p<0.01), not having a college education (p=0.01), having childcare responsibilities (p=0.04), and working less overtime (p=0.02) among workers in the <45 year age category, male gender (p<0.01) and reporting higher stress in general (p=0.04) among workers in the 45-55 year age category, and job tenure (p=0.03) among workers in the >55 year age category.

Conclusions: Among manufacturing workers, we identified associations between individual, health-related, and work-related factors and BMI that differed by age. Such results support the use of strategies tailored to the challenges faced by workers in specific age groups rather than adopting a one size fits all approach.

Learning Areas:

Chronic disease management and prevention
Occupational health and safety
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe potential factors associated with body mass index among manufacturing workers. Explain how the factors associated with body mass index among manufacturing worker differ by age.

Keyword(s): Obesity, Occupational Health and Safety

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have a doctorate in Environmental Health and am a certified industrial hygienist. I was involved in the study design, data analysis, data interpretation and creation of the poster.
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.

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