Objective: To study the factors associated with arterial hypertension (AH) and diabetes mellitus (DM) in a metal and steel company's workers with units in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, using a hierarchical risk model.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. We obtained information on demographic, occupational and lifestyle variables, in addition to the lipid profile, fasting glycemia and blood pressure of 3,777 employees, and we carried out descriptive statistical analysis and hierarchical multiple logistic regression analysis.
Results:The prevalence of AH was 24.7% and the hierarchical regression analysis indicated that male gender and age above 40 years presented statistically significant risk. Regardless of demographic characteristics, working in the metal company, intense work stress, sedentary lifestyle, alcohol consumption, body mass index above 25, altered cholesterol and altered triglycerides were associated with AH. The prevalence of DM was 11.5% and the hierarchical regression analysis indicated that male gender and age above 40 years presented statistically significant risk. Regardless of demographic characteristics, the same conditions were associated with DM.
Conclusion:The data evidenced that workers above 40 years are a priority for intervention actions aimed at improving the prevention of these two conditions. These actions should focus especially on eating habits and the practice of physical exercise, which could improve the control of obesity and of alterations in the lipid profile. Arterial hypertension (AH) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are important collective health problems in Brazil because of their high prevalences, the acute and chronic complications they originate and because they represent risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases, implying high morbidity and mortality rates and social and economic costs resulting from the use of health care services, absenteeism, early retirement and decrease of the work ability [1][2][3] . In addition to their isolated importance, arterial hypertension and glycemia alterations also play a relevant role as components of the metabolic syndrome, believed to be the major cause of the increase in general and cardiovascular mortality Preventive actions have been demonstrated to have positive impacts in the reduction of morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases 1,5 . In order to plan, develop and evaluate preventive actions and actions targeted at these conditions, it is necessary to know the distribution and the joint role played by the risk factors. Many studies have addressed the population in general, focusing on the elderly. However, there is little discussion about factors associated with these conditions in Brazilian workers. Considering this fact, this study aims at studying factors associated with AH and DM in workers of a metal and steel company with units in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, using a hierarchical risk model.
MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study and was carried out in 1997 wi...