Obesity Among Industrial Workers in Brazil: A Cross-sectional Study on Prevalence and Associated Factors.

OBJECTIVE: Estimate the prevalence of obesity and its associated factors among industrial workers. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of secondary data from workers aged 18 to 59 years in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. RESULTS: A total of 20,820 workers (12,372 men and 8448 women) were investigated. The overall prevalence of obesity was 14.6% (95% CI [confidence interval]: 14.2 to 15.1), 16.4% (95% CI: 15.6 to 17.2) among women and 13.5% (95% ci: 12.9 to 14.1) among men. After adjusting, obesity was significantly associated with increasing age, living with a partner, lower education, and ex-smoking status in both sexes. However, it was associated with lower income in women, and higher income and physical inactivity in men. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity was prevalent among Brazilian industrial workers and sociodemographic characteristics are important factors related to obesity.

Fatores Associados à Ocorrência de Hipertensão Arterial em Trabalhadores da Indústria do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil / Factors Associated with the Occurrence of Arterial Hypertension in Industry Workers of State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Resumo Fundamento A hipertensão é um importante e persistente problema de saúde pública, sendo uma das principais causas de doenças cardiovasculares e mortalidade geral. Objetivos Este estudo buscou verificar a prevalência e os fatores associados à hipertensão arterial sistêmica em trabalhadores da indústria do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Métodos Trata-se de um estudo transversal com dados secundários de 20.792 industriários de 18 a 59 anos de idade. A presença de hipertensão arterial foi determinada a partir da pressão arterial sistólica ≥140mmHg e/ou pressão arterial diastólica ≥90mmHg, ou estar fazendo uso de medicação anti-hipertensiva. Os fatores investigados incluíram características demográficas, socioeconômicas, comportamentais, de estado nutricional e de história familiar. Regressão de Poisson foi utilizada na análise multivariável, adotando-se um p<0,05 como nível de significância. Todas as análises foram estratificadas por sexo. Resultados A amostra incluiu 12.349 homens e 8.443 mulheres com média de idade geral de 32,8 anos (Desvio-padrão=9,8 anos). A prevalência de hipertensão foi de 10,3% (IC95%:9,8-10,7), sendo esta significativamente maior entre os homens do que entre as mulheres (10,9% vs 9,4%;p=0,001). A hipertensão mostrou-se associada à elevação da faixa etária, baixa escolaridade, viver com companheiro, ter sobrepeso ou obesidade, e ter pelo menos um parente com história de hipertensão para ambos os sexos. As mulheres com melhores condições socioeconômicas apresentaram menores prevalências de hipertensão. Conclusões Os principais fatores associados à hipertensão arterial compreenderam características sociodemográficas, nutricionais e de história familiar. Ademais, as condições socioeconômicas demonstraram uma associação com a ocorrência de hipertensão, principalmente entre as mulheres.

Abstract Background Hypertension is a serious and persistent public health problem and is one of the main causes of cardiovascular diseases and general mortality. Objectives This study aimed to verify the prevalence and factors associated with systemic arterial hypertension in workers from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Methods This is a cross-sectional study using the secondary data from 20,792 industry workers from 18 to 59 years of age. The presence of arterial hypertension was determined from systolic blood pressure ≥ 140mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90mmHg or taking antihypertensive medication. Factors investigated included demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, nutritional status, and family history characteristics. Poisson regression was used in multivariate analysis, adopting a significance level of p<0.05. All analyses were stratified by sex. Results The sample included 12,349 men and 8,443 women with a mean age of 32.8 years (Standard Deviation = 9.8). The prevalence of arterial hypertension was 10.3% (95% CI: 9.8-10.7), which was significantly higher in men than in women (10.9% vs 9.4%; p = 0.001). Arterial hypertension was associated with increased age, a low level of education, living with a partner, being overweight or obese, and having at least one relative with a history of hypertension for both sexes. Women with better socioeconomic conditions presented a lower prevalence of hypertension. Conclusions The main factors associated with hypertension included sociodemographic, nutritional, and family history characteristics. In addition, socioeconomic conditions showed an association with the occurrence of hypertension, especially among women.

Factors Associated with the Occurrence of Arterial Hypertension in Industry Workers of State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. / Fatores Associados à Ocorrência de Hipertensão Arterial em Trabalhadores da Indústria do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a serious and persistent public health problem and is one of the main causes of cardiovascular diseases and general mortality. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to verify the prevalence and factors associated with systemic arterial hypertension in workers from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study using the secondary data from 20,792 industry workers from 18 to 59 years of age. The presence of arterial hypertension was determined from systolic blood pressure ≥ 140mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90mmHg or taking antihypertensive medication. Factors investigated included demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, nutritional status, and family history characteristics. Poisson regression was used in multivariate analysis, adopting a significance level of p<0.05. All analyses were stratified by sex. RESULTS: The sample included 12,349 men and 8,443 women with a mean age of 32.8 years (Standard Deviation = 9.8). The prevalence of arterial hypertension was 10.3% (95% CI: 9.8-10.7), which was significantly higher in men than in women (10.9% vs 9.4%; p = 0.001). Arterial hypertension was associated with increased age, a low level of education, living with a partner, being overweight or obese, and having at least one relative with a history of hypertension for both sexes. Women with better socioeconomic conditions presented a lower prevalence of hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: The main factors associated with hypertension included sociodemographic, nutritional, and family history characteristics. In addition, socioeconomic conditions showed an association with the occurrence of hypertension, especially among women.

FUNDAMENTO: A hipertensão é um importante e persistente problema de saúde pública, sendo uma das principais causas de doenças cardiovasculares e mortalidade geral. OBJETIVOS: Este estudo buscou verificar a prevalência e os fatores associados à hipertensão arterial sistêmica em trabalhadores da indústria do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo transversal com dados secundários de 20.792 industriários de 18 a 59 anos de idade. A presença de hipertensão arterial foi determinada a partir da pressão arterial sistólica ≥140mmHg e/ou pressão arterial diastólica ≥90mmHg, ou estar fazendo uso de medicação anti-hipertensiva. Os fatores investigados incluíram características demográficas, socioeconômicas, comportamentais, de estado nutricional e de história familiar. Regressão de Poisson foi utilizada na análise multivariável, adotando-se um p<0,05 como nível de significância. Todas as análises foram estratificadas por sexo. RESULTADOS: A amostra incluiu 12.349 homens e 8.443 mulheres com média de idade geral de 32,8 anos (Desvio-padrão=9,8 anos). A prevalência de hipertensão foi de 10,3% (IC95%:9,8-10,7), sendo esta significativamente maior entre os homens do que entre as mulheres (10,9% vs 9,4%;p=0,001). A hipertensão mostrou-se associada à elevação da faixa etária, baixa escolaridade, viver com companheiro, ter sobrepeso ou obesidade, e ter pelo menos um parente com história de hipertensão para ambos os sexos. As mulheres com melhores condições socioeconômicas apresentaram menores prevalências de hipertensão. CONCLUSÕES: Os principais fatores associados à hipertensão arterial compreenderam características sociodemográficas, nutricionais e de história familiar. Ademais, as condições socioeconômicas demonstraram uma associação com a ocorrência de hipertensão, principalmente entre as mulheres.

Relationship of work-related stress with obesity among Brazilian female shift workers.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship between work-related stress and obesity among female shift workers. Additionally, we also aimed to test the interaction between shift work and work-related stress in this association. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Brazilian female shift workers. Work-related stress was assessed through a demand-control questionnaire (Job Stress Scale). Work-related stress was defined by the presence of high psychological demands and low control at work. The obesity cases were defined as those with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or more. Multivariate Poisson regression with robust variance was used to obtain the prevalence ratios (PR) and their respective 95 % CI. SETTING: A group of industries located in southern Brazil in 2017. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred and twenty female workers aged 18-59 years. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of obesity was 30 % (95 % CI: 25·6, 34·4), and the presence of work-related stress was identified in 24 % (95 % CI: 19·9, 28·1) of the sample. We found an indication of interaction between work-related stress and night shift work on obesity (P = 0·026). After adjusting for confounding factors, work-related stress was associated with a 71 % greater probability of obesity (PR = 1·71; 95 % CI: 1·02, 2·87; P = 0·042) among female night shift workers. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we revealed that exposure to work-related stress and night shift work were associated with obesity among female shift workers. Furthermore, the prevalence of obesity was high among female shift workers.

Apolipoprotein E genetic polymorphism, serum lipoprotein levels and breast cancer risk: A case-control study.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between apolipoprotein E (APOE) allelic frequency, serum lipoproteins and breast cancer (BC). We conducted a nested case-control study within a cohort including 47 cases and 165 controls. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses of the APOE polymorphism were performed. In general, participants with the genotype including alleles e2 and e3 tended to have lower serum triglycerides, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels compared to participants homozygous for the e3 allele and participants heterozygous for the e3 and e4 alleles, respectively. BC patients exhibited higher mean levels of total serum cholesterol (P=0.070), dietary fat intake (P=0.020) and dietary cholesterol intake (P=0.017) compared to control subjects. The allelic distribution between the two groups revealed that the presence of the e2 allele was positively associated with the absence of BC, whereas the e4 allele was positively associated with the BC case group (P=0.019). The distribution of the APOE genotypes was not significantly different between cases and controls (P=0.172). The concomitant presence of the e2 and e4 alleles was positively associated with the absence of BC and e4/e4 homozygosity was positively associated with BC (P=0.021). Our findings suggested that APOE polymorphism plays an important role in the development of BC, particularly when associated with higher serum triglyceride levels.

Consumo de bebida alcoólica, fatores socioeconômicos e excesso de peso: um estudo transversal no sul do Brasil / Alcohol consumption, social and economic factors and excess weight: a cross-sectional study

O objetivo do estudo foi investigar o consumo de álcool e verificar sua associação com escolaridade, renda e excesso de peso em uma amostra de mulheres. Trata-se de um estudo transversal com 317 mulheres. Aplicou-se um questionário padronizado e pré-codificado para determinar a quantidade, a frequência e o tipo de bebida alcoólica consumida. As mulheres foram classificadas em dois grandes grupos, conforme a quantidade de bebida consumida. O primeiro grupo "Consumo de Álcool", formado por duas subcategorias: (1) mulheres que bebiam no mínimo 10g/dia de etanol; (2) mulheres que referiram não consumir 10g/dia de etanol e as que beberam em algum período da vida ou previamente, mas que o deixaram de fazer. O segundo grupo, "Contato com Álcool", foi composto por três subcategorias: (1) bebedoras (mulheres que bebiam no mínimo 10g/dia de etanol), (2) ex-bebedoras (já beberam regularmente, mas deixaram de consumir a bebida) e (3) não bebedoras. Das investigadas, 30% eram bebedoras e 36,6% se declararam ex-bebedoras. Tinham sobrepeso 39,4% das participantes e 34,3% eram obesas. As investigadas com maior grau de instrução consumiam maior quantidade de álcool, quando comparadas às mulheres com menor escolaridade (analfabetas) que consumam menos (p = 0,010).

The scope of this study was to investigate alcohol consumption and its association with educational level, income and weight in a sample of women. It involved a cross-sectional study with 317 women. A standardized and pre-encoded questionnaire was applied to determine the amount, frequency and type of alcoholic beverage consumed. The women were classified in two large groups according to the number of drinks consumed. The first group "Alcohol Consumption," was comprised of two subcategories: (1) women who drank at least 10g/day of ethanol; (2) women who reported not consuming 10g/day of ethanol, and those who drank at some period of their lives or previously, but no longer did so. The second group, "Contact with Alcohol," was composed of three subcategories: (1) drinkers (women who drank at least 10g/dia of ethanol); (2) former drinkers (women who used to drink regularly, but no longer drink alcohol); and (3) non-drinkers. 30% of the women investigated were drinkers, and 36.6% reported they were former drinkers. 39.4% of the total sample was overweight and 34.3% obese. Women with higher educational levels were found to consume a larger amount of alcohol when compared to women with less education (illiterate) who consume less (p = 0.010).

[Alcohol consumption, social and economic factors and excess weight: a cross-sectional study]. / Consumo de bebida alcoólica, fatores socioeconômicos e excesso de peso: um estudo transversal no sul do Brasil.

The scope of this study was to investigate alcohol consumption and its association with educational level, income and weight in a sample of women. It involved a cross-sectional study with 317 women. A standardized and pre-encoded questionnaire was applied to determine the amount, frequency and type of alcoholic beverage consumed. The women were classified in two large groups according to the number of drinks consumed. The first group "Alcohol Consumption," was comprised of two subcategories: (1) women who drank at least 10g/day of ethanol; (2) women who reported not consuming 10g/day of ethanol, and those who drank at some period of their lives or previously, but no longer did so. The second group, "Contact with Alcohol," was composed of three subcategories: (1) drinkers (women who drank at least 10g/dia of ethanol); (2) former drinkers (women who used to drink regularly, but no longer drink alcohol); and (3) non-drinkers. 30% of the women investigated were drinkers, and 36.6% reported they were former drinkers. 39.4% of the total sample was overweight and 34.3% obese. Women with higher educational levels were found to consume a larger amount of alcohol when compared to women with less education (illiterate) who consume less (p = 0.010).

Lipídio: fator de risco e prevenção do câncer de mama / Lipid: risk factor and breast cancer prevention

A hipótese de que uma dieta rica em gordura promova o desenvolvimento do câncer de mama na menopausa é fortalecida por estudos caso-controle, que mostram forte associação positiva entre uma dieta rica em lipídios e as taxas de incidência de câncer de mama. Por outro lado, a ingestão dietética de gordura não parece estar relacionada com o risco de câncer de mama em estudos de coorte. Em vista desses achados conflitantes, tem sido difícil propor qualquer recomendação nutricional para a prevenção do câncer de mama. Estudos com animais e observações recentes em humanos, entretanto, têm mostrado evidências de que a dieta rica em ácido graxo linoléico estimula vários estágios no desenvolvimento de câncer mamário. Alguns estudos ainda mostram que o óleo de peixe, constituído de ácidos graxos mega-3, parece prevenir o câncer pela influência sobre a atividade de enzimas e proteínas relacionadas à proliferação celular. Assim, são necessários estudos epidemiológicos que integrem as interações de ácidos graxos específicos com o catabolismo hormonal, fatores nutricionais protetores e de risco relacionados com o câncer de mama. Nesse trabalho, abordaremos os fatores protetores, de risco e as implicações quali e quantitativas dos ácidos graxos da dieta sobre o câncer de mama.