Key result
Obesity linked to ~62% higher prevalence of circulatory diseases in Arctic industrial workers.
Why the study?
Obesity is a global epidemic and significant medical and social problem, but studies on this topic from Arctic Russia remain relatively scarce.
Cross-Sectional (n=2,474)
Relative Risk: 1.62 (95% CI 1.41–1.86)
p-value: p=<0.001
Obesity is highly prevalent (17.6%) among industrial workers in Arctic Russia and is associated with a significantly higher burden of somatic diseases, including hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
Obesity screening may merit emphasis among Arctic industrial workers; leaves open causal links to comorbidities pending longitudinal studies.
Background: Obesity has been consistently reported as a global epidemic representing a significant medical and social problem in many countries. However, the number of studies on this topic from Arctic Russia is still relatively scarce. Aim: To assess the prevalence and correlates of obesity among industrial workers in an Arctic Russian setting. Methods: Altogether, 2 474 workers of a mining and metallurgical enterprise in the Murmansk region participated in a cross-sectional study. The list of studied characteristics complied with the requirements of the Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia dated 04/12/2011, No. 302n, as amended on 05/18/2020. In addition, we studied intensity and frequency of leisure time physical activity. Student's unpaired t-tests and chi-squared tests were used for analyses of numeric and categorical variables, respectively. Prevalence ratios (PR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) were also calculated. Results: The prevalence of obesity was 17.6 % and it was ranked the third most common health problems after myopia and low back pain. Age, female gender, severity of work and number of working years and low leisure time physical activity were associated with obesity. The prevalence of musculoskeletal (PR = 1.11; CI 1.04-1.19) and circulatory (PR = 1.62; CI 1.41-1.86) diseases, disorders of endocrine system, nutrition and metabolism (PR = 2.01; CI 1.48-2.74), including arterial hypertension (PR = 2.11; CI 1.72-2.59) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (PR = 3.14; CI 1.28-7.68) were greater than among non-obese individuals. Obese employees had on average more diseases than their non-obese counterparts (3.41 ± 0.12 vs.2.80 ± 0.06, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Nearly every fifth employee in the study population is obese and have more somatic diseases than non-obese individuals. Our findings warrant development of population-based or occupational programs to prevent obesity and reduce the number of associated problems among industrial workers in Arctic Russia.
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Syurin et al. (2021) conducted a cross-sectional in Obesity (n=2,474). Obesity vs. Non-obese individuals was evaluated on Circulatory diseases (PR 1.62, 95% CI 1.41-1.86, p=<0.001). Obesity affected 17.6% of industrial workers in Arctic Russia and was associated with a 1.62-fold higher prevalence of circulatory diseases compared to non-obese individuals.
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