Pre-Employment Screening and Health Risk Profile among Newly Recruited Employees at a Public Medical University in Karachi: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Despite the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, screening of employees remains uncommon in Pakistan. Objective: To analyze the health risk profile of newly hired employees at a public sector University in Karachi, Pakistan. Method: This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed medical records of 280 newly hired employees who joined the university between 2019 and 2022. Data extraction was conducted over three months (January–March 2025). Hemoglobin concentration (g/dL) was obtained from laboratory reports provided by each employee and classified using WHO sex specific cut offs. Blood pressure was recorded by a trained nurse using a manual sphygmomanometer in a seated position after resting for five minutes. BMI was calculated as weight (kg) divided by height in metres squared (m²). Associations were assessed using the Chi-square test; p ≤0.05 was considered significant. Results: Anemia was significantly more prevalent among females (23.8%) than males (3.9%, p=0.001). Elevated blood pressure or hypertension was more common in males (p = 0.029) and in those with higher BMI (p<0.001). Only one-quarter of employees had a normal BMI; overweight/obesity was significantly associated with older age (p=0.001) and family history of Diabetes (p<0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate the high rates of obesity, hypertension, and anemia among workers, with noticeable differences by age, gender, and BMI. Comprehensive and focused actions are required to control and prevent these disorders.