Key result
Among university employees, having an at-risk waist circumference (OR 1.74) and total cholesterol of 200-239 mg/dL (OR 2.24) were independent risk factors for COVID-19 infection.
Why the study?
While non-communicable disease risk factors are associated with COVID-19 severity and mortality, it was unclear whether they also represent risks for new COVID-19 infection.
Do non-communicable disease risk factors increase the risk of COVID-19 infection in university employees?
Cross-Sectional (n=613)
Yes
Do non-communicable disease risk factors increase the risk of COVID-19 infection in university employees?
Odds Ratio: 1.74 (95% CI 1.17–2.6)
p-value: p=0.007
Among university employees, at-risk waist circumference and elevated total cholesterol were independently associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 infection, highlighting the importance of managing metabolic risk factors.
Waist circumference and cholesterol were associated with COVID-19 risk in employees; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective confirmation before any clinical inference.
Introduction Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are still a major public health problem in Indonesia. Studies have shown that risk factors of NCDs were associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity and mortality. However, it is unclear whether NCD risk factors are also risks for new COVID-19 infection. This study aimed to obtain the NCD risk profiles among university’s employees and its association with COVID-19 infection. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in October 2021. Participants were administrative employees of Universitas Indonesia (UI), Depok City, West Java. Assessment of NCDs risk factors was based on the World Health Organization STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance (WHO STEPS). Demographics, working and medical history data were obtained electronically by using a Google Form. Physical and laboratory examination were done in the Integrated Post for NCDs. Risks were expressed as adjusted odds ratio (OR adj ) and 95% confidence interval (CI) in multivariate analyses. Results A total of 613 employees were enrolled. Men were predominant (54.8%) and about 36% of them work in shift as security personnel. About 66.7% were overweight or obese and 77.8% had hypertension. There were 138 (22.8%) employees who had COVID-19 infection. Nearly all (95.6%) have completed COVID-19 vaccination. At-risk waist circumference (OR adj 1.74, 95% CI 1.17-2.60, p=0.007) and total cholesterol level of 200-239 mg/dL (OR adj 2.24, 95% CI 1.15-4.33, p=0.017) were independent risk factors, but shift work (OR adj 0.54, 95% CI 0.24-0.84, p=0.006) was protective to COVID-19 infection. Conclusion The prevalence of NCDs risk factors among university administrative employees was high, increasing the risk for COVID-19 infection. A behavioral intervention program to manage the NCD risk factors at the university level is urgently needed according to the Health Promoting University framework.
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Widyahening et al. (2022) conducted a cross-sectional in COVID-19 infection (n=613). At-risk waist circumference vs. Normal waist circumference was evaluated on History of COVID-19 infection (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.17-2.60, p=0.007). Among university employees, having an at-risk waist circumference (OR 1.74) and total cholesterol of 200-239 mg/dL (OR 2.24) were independent risk factors for COVID-19 infection.
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