Search Results (124)

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major global health concern influenced by sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. This study compared T2D risk scores between commerce and industry sectors and assessed the associations of age, sex, education, physical activity, diet, and smoking with elevated risk. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 56,856 men and 12,872 women employed in the commerce (n = 27,448) and industry (n = 42,280) sectors across Spain. Anthropometric, clinical, and biochemical data were collected. Four validated T2D risk scores (QDscore, Finrisk, Canrisk, and TRAQ-D) were calculated. Multinomial logistic regression models estimated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for high-risk categories by sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics. Results: Women in the industrial sector had significantly higher age, BMI, waist circumference, and lipid levels than those in commerce; differences among men were less marked. Across all participants, higher T2D risk scores were independently associated with physical inactivity (OR up to 12.49), poor Mediterranean diet adherence (OR up to 6.62), industrial employment (OR up to 1.98), and older age. Male sex was strongly associated with high Canrisk scores (OR = 6.31; 95% CI: 5.12–7.51). Conclusions: Employment in the industrial sector, combined with sedentary behavior and poor dietary habits, is independently associated with higher predicted T2D risk. Workplace prevention strategies should prioritize multicomponent interventions targeting modifiable risk factors, especially in high-risk subgroups such as older, less-educated, and inactive workers. Full article

Sedentary behavior is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for various health issues, including cognitive decline. Objectives: This pilot study examined the acute and chronic effects of workplace-integrated exercise snacks—short, vigorous bouts of exercise—on cognitive performance in middle-aged adults. Methods: Twenty-five sedentary but healthy office workers (51.4 ± 5.3 years; 6 m/19 f) participated. The intervention group (n = 12) performed three 1 min bouts of vigorous exercise (running on the spot) daily, four days a week, for four weeks, while the control group (n = 13) maintained their usual routine. Cognitive performance was assessed pre-intervention, shortly following the first exercise bout (acute effects), and post-intervention (chronic effects) using the Trail Making Test and the Stroop Color–Word Test. Results: Significant acute improvements (p ≤ 0.05) were observed across all cognitive outcomes following a single bout of exercise. Significant interaction effects (p ≤ 0.05) were found across all cognitive outcomes after four weeks, indicating sustained cognitive benefits. Conclusion: These findings suggest that workplace-integrated brief, vigorous exercise may lead to both immediate and sustained enhancement in executive functions such as working memory, processing speed, and inhibitory control. They highlight the potential cognitive health benefits of incorporating exercise snacks into sedentary workplace environments. Full article

Currently, the sedentary nature of office work has led to a steady increase in the prevalence of spinal disorders, including lower back pain, back pain, and neck pain. Medical research has shown that monitoring and improving sitting posture is an important measure to prevent spinal discomfort. The emergence and development of wearable technology have enabled more people to effectively monitor their health. In this study, we propose and design a textile sensor-based sitting posture correction smart garment to realize dynamic sitting reminders aimed at meeting the needs of sedentary office workers. The garment achieves real-time sitting posture recognition through integrated machine learning algorithms, with a recognition accuracy exceeding 95% using a random forest classifier. Additionally, we developed haptic vibration feedback and visual GUI feedback modes to provide sitting posture intervention and dynamic sitting reminders. To evaluate the system’s effectiveness and usability, we conducted comparative experiments analyzing sitting posture behavior before and after wearing the smart garment, along with a user satisfaction survey. The results demonstrate that the smart garment effectively helps office workers adjust their sitting posture and reduces the risk of spinal discomfort associated with prolonged sedentary work. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sedentary office workers (SOWs) often adopt prolonged sitting postures, which potentially disrupt the lumbar–pelvic rhythm (LPR) and contribute to lower back pain (LBP). This study aimed to clarify the group differences in LPR and related physical factors between SOWs with and without LBP. Methods: Sixty-three SOWs were divided into LBP (n = 30) and non-LBP (n = 33) groups. The lumbar flexion angle (LF) and lumbar–hip angle difference (LHD), which are indicators of LPR, were measured using inertial sensors during trunk flexion. Hip flexion muscle strength (HFMS) and hip-extension muscle strength (HEMS) were assessed using handheld dynamometry. Hip joint range of motion (ROM) was measured using a goniometer. Lumbar proprioception was evaluated via active joint repositioning, and pain and perception were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale, Oswestry Disability Index, and Fremantle Back Awareness Questionnaire. Results: Multiple regression analysis showed significantly greater LF (estimated regression coefficient [ERC]: −2.9, p < 0.05) and LHD (ERC: −5.5, p < 0.05) during early trunk flexion (ETF) in the LBP group. In the LBP group, LHD during ETF and late trunk flexion were positively correlated with HFMS, and HFMS was correlated with HEMS. Conclusions: HFMS may contribute to an altered LPR in SOWs with LBP. Full article

Background/Objectives: Night shift workers (NSWs) are at a high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the association between CVD risk factors and lifestyle behavior (sedentary behavior [SB], physical activity [PA], and sleep) is unclear among NSWs. NSWs lead different lifestyles on workdays and leisure days. This study aimed to investigate the association between lifestyle behavior times and CVD risk factors among NSWs during workdays and leisure days using an isotemporal substitution model. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 66 male NSWs. Time spent on lifestyle behaviors was obtained using a tri-axial accelerometer and classified into SB, light-intensity PA, moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and sleep. Lifestyle behavior times were divided into workdays and leisure days. CVD risk factors were determined based on periodic health checkups. An isotemporal substitution model was used to estimate the effect of replacing one lifestyle behavior with another on CVD risk factors. Results: The lifestyle behavior times differed between workdays and leisure days. On workdays, reallocating 30 min of SB to light-intensity PA was significantly associated with a lower waist circumference. In addition, reallocating sleep to SB or MVPA was significantly associated with higher triglyceride levels. On leisure days, reallocating SB or sleep time to MVPA was significantly associated with lower aspartate aminotransferase levels. Conclusions: Given the difference in the associations between lifestyle behavior times and CVD risk factors among NSWs between workdays and leisure days, NSWs should be mindful of the time spent on SB, PA, and sleep on workdays and leisure days to achieve healthier outcomes. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA) are key determinants of health in occupational settings. This study aimed to analyze the levels of SB, PA, and their associations with health outcomes among Chilean workers using data from the National Health Survey-2017. Methods: A secondary analysis of 2042 workers aged ≥18 years was conducted. Occupations were classified using ISCO-08, and SB/PA were assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). Health outcomes included musculoskeletal symptoms, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular risk. Results: Of the participants, 49.8% were women, and the mean age was 45 years (±13.7). The median SB was 120 min/day, with 32.6% accumulating ≥4 h/day. “Managers” exhibited the highest SB (median: 270 min/day). The median total PA was 123 min/day, and “Skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers” reported the highest PA (median: 330 min/day). The SB (≥4 h/day) was significantly associated with musculoskeletal symptoms (OR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.21–2.14) and hypertension (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.07–2.18). PA showed no significant protective effect. Conclusions: SB and PA vary significantly across occupational groups. SB is associated with musculoskeletal symptoms. Health promotion programs should be tailored to specific occupational groups. Full article

Background/Objectives: Excessive body adiposity is a significant public health challenge on a global scale. This study aimed to investigate the association between various sociodemographic factors and healthy lifestyle habits and the presence or absence of elevated body adiposity levels. Methodology: Two studies were conducted, a retrospective longitudinal study and a cross-sectional descriptive study. The analysis included 44,939 healthcare workers, categorised into four professional groups, to explore the relationship between age, sex, smoking, physical activity, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet and body adiposity, assessed as elevated body fat (BF) and visceral fat (VF) levels. Descriptive statistics encompassed categorical and quantitative variables, analysed using frequencies, Student’s t-tests, chi-square tests, and multinomial logistic regression models. Associations, concordances, and correlations were further examined using logistic regression and Cohen’s and Pearson’s kappa coefficients. Results: Age, sex, and physical activity were the factors most strongly associated with elevated BF and VF levels. Odds ratios (ORs) indicated the following significant associations: individuals aged 60 years and older exhibited ORs of 6.71 (95% CI: 5.68–7.74) for BF and 12.18 (95% CI: 10.01–14.26) for VF; male sex was associated with ORs of 2.21 (95% CI: 2.06–2.36) for BF and 12.51 (95% CI: 11.29–13.74) for VF. Sedentary behaviour was linked to ORs of 3.69 (95% CI: 3.41–3.97) for BF and 4.20 (95% CI: 3.78–4.63) for VF. Among healthcare professionals, nursing assistants and orderlies demonstrated the highest levels of adipose tissue accumulation. Conclusions: Elevated BF and VF levels among healthcare personnel are significantly associated by lifestyle factors, sex, and age, with the most pronounced risk observed in nursing assistants and orderlies. Further research focusing on the causal relationships between lifestyle behaviours and adiposity in this population will provide valuable insights and support the design of targeted preventive strategies to mitigate its prevalence. Full article

Background/Objectives: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the major public health concerns worldwide due to their high morbidity and mortality rates. This situation has necessitated the development of tools to assess cardiovascular risk (CVR) in order to prevent the onset of CVD. The aim of this study is to assess how sociodemographic variables and health habits are associated with the values of CVR scales, such as REGICOR, SCORE2, and vascular age. Methodology: This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study involving 44,939 Spanish healthcare workers, where the association between age, sex, type of work, smoking, physical activity, and Mediterranean diet with CVR scales such as REGICOR, SCORE2, and vascular age was evaluated. Results: All the variables analyzed showed an association with the occurrence of moderate-high values in all three CVR scales. Age was the variable that showed the highest odds ratio values: 13.446 (95% CI 11.16–14.77) for REGICOR, 13.90 (95% CI 12.01–15.81) for vascular age, and 14.12 (95% CI 12.01–16.23) for SCORE2. Conclusions: The profile of a healthcare worker with the highest risk of presenting moderate-high values on all three CVR scales would be a male over 60 years old, a nursing assistant or orderly, a smoker, sedentary, and with low adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Full article

Background and Objectives: The accumulation of fat in the body, especially visceral fat, is associated with various cardiometabolic conditions such as diabetes mellitus and fatty liver. The reasons for the accumulation of this fat are diverse. Some studies, also in the working population, have shown a clear association between sociodemographic variables and health habits with scales that assess overweight and obesity. This study aims to determine how certain sociodemographic variables, such as age, gender, and socioeconomic level, as well as certain healthy habits like physical activity and tobacco consumption, affect the levels of body and visceral fat. Materials and Methods: We conducted a descriptive and cross-sectional study involving 8590 Spanish workers. The percentage of body and visceral fat was measured using a bioimpedance analysis with a Tanita DC 430MA device. Results: Both the average values and the prevalence of elevated body and visceral fat increase with age and decrease with social class and lower levels of physical activity. These values are higher in smokers. A multivariate analysis shows that the variables most influential in increasing the risk of high levels of both body and visceral fat are age and low levels of physical activity. Conclusions: The profile of a person at high risk of having elevated body and visceral fat levels is an older male with a low socioeconomic status who smokes and leads a sedentary lifestyle. Full article

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, with a multifactorial etiology. This study aims to evaluate the associations between various sociodemographic variables, healthy habits, and stress with risk scale values for MAFLD. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on 16,708 Spanish workers to assess how sociodemographic variables (age, gender, and socioeconomic status), healthy habits (smoking, Mediterranean diet adherence, and physical activity), and stress correlate with values from three MAFLD risk scales: fatty liver index (FLI), hepatic steatosis index (HSI), and lipid accumulation product (LAP). Results: All analyzed variables were associated with the values of the three MAFLD risk scales. Among them, the variables showing the strongest associations (represented by odds ratio values) were age and physical activity. Conclusions: The profile of an individual at higher risk of elevated MAFLD risk scale values is a male, aged 50 or older, belonging to lower socioeconomic levels (manual laborers), a smoker, sedentary, with low adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and with high stress scale scores. Full article

Background: Shift work has been associated with unhealthy lifestyle habits and a higher prevalence of obesity, which negatively impacts the health of shift workers. The objective of our study was to examine the influence of shift work on obesity, as well as on sociodemographic variables, anthropometric measurements, and lifestyle habits in individuals working this type of schedule. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study involving 53,053 workers from various labour sectors across several Spanish autonomous communities was conducted. It included 31,753 men (17,527 of them working shifts) and 21,300 women (11,281 of them working shifts). The relationship between shift work and obesity was examined, as well as its association with sex, age, social class, education level, smoking, alcohol consumption, sedentary behaviour, and unhealthy diet. Results: Obesity showed higher prevalence and mean values among shift workers across all four formulas used (BMI obesity, WtHR high, CUN BAE obesity, METS-VF high). All variables related to unhealthy lifestyle habits revealed a significantly greater prevalence among shift workers, with high statistical significance (p < 0.001). Age, sex, and social class affected the risk of obesity, with a greater prevalence observed in shift workers compared to non-shift workers (p < 0.001). Men had a higher risk than women, with an OR ranging from 1.17 (1.12–1.21) for BMI obesity to 7.45 (6.71–8.20) for METS-VF high. Conclusions: Shift workers exhibit a higher prevalence of obesity and unhealthy lifestyle habits, with men at greater risk. The variables that most significantly increase the risk of obesity include age, physical inactivity, low adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and alcohol consumption. Full article

Despite the health benefits of physical activity (PA), many individuals do not meet PA recommendations. Family-centered PA approaches, particularly active engagement by Mexican-heritage fathers, may support family PA. This study reports PA outcomes of a culturally tailored, father-focused, and family-centered, program for Mexican-heritage families. Promotora researchers recruited participating families (n = 59, n = 42 complete cases), consisting of children (mean age: 10.1 [SD = 0.9]), fathers, and mothers from five randomly selected geographic clusters in low-resourced colonias in south Texas, in a stepped-wedge randomized design. PA was measured using wrist-worn ActiGraph GT9X accelerometers. Statistical analyses for moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA (LPA), and sedentary time for the child, father, and mother were conducted using linear mixed models. The findings were as follows: children had no significant changes in MVPA (p = 0.18), LPA (p = 0.52), or sedentary behavior (p = 0.74); fathers had no significant changes in MVPA (p = 0.94), LPA (p = 0.17), or sedentary behavior (p = 0.15); and mothers had a significant decrease in LPA (p < 0.01), and no significant changes in MVPA (p = 0.66) or sedentary behavior (p = 0.77). Despite null results, this study provides an example of a culturally tailored, family-focused program implemented among Mexican-heritage families with limited PA resources and opportunities. Future PA interventions may require higher PA-focused doses over longer time periods to produce a significant change in LPA, MVPA, or sedentary time. Full article

We used the Total Worker Health^® approach to develop a multi-component workplace sedentary behavior intervention and tested intervention effectiveness in a cluster randomized trial. Participants (n = 198; 75% female) were recruited from three call-centers (two intervention and one usual practice control). All worksites received pedal stand active workstations. The usual practice site received no additional support, while the intervention group completed a six-month program of activities including computer-based training, behavioral self-monitoring, health and safety discussions, and pedaling competitions. Data collection included a survey, a physical health assessment, and accelerometer measures of sedentary behavior, physical activity, and sitting/standing time. Primary analyses were generalized estimating equations comparing changes between intervention and usual practice conditions over time, along with analyses of changes in both groups combined over time. Six-month results revealed less prolonged sitting and reductions in musculoskeletal pain in both groups (all p < 0.05), while the intervention group showed additional improvements in moderate physical activity (p < 0.001) and use of pedal stands (p < 0.01). At 12-months, the additional physical activity and pedal stand use in the intervention group regressed to baseline levels, while reductions in prolonged sitting in both groups were durable (p < 0.01). This study adds to previous research showing the effectiveness of the Total Worker Health^® approach for workplace health and safety. Results also show that, while providing employees with health and safety resources is beneficial, providing ongoing support for the adoption and use of resources is more effective. Full article

Office workers frequently display behavioral patterns marked by extended periods of sedentary and seated work. In this context, the implementation of a workplace exercise program has been shown to be effective in mitigating health-related risk factors. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a 12-week workplace exercise program on the quality of life of employees whose primary occupational duties involve prolonged sitting. The final sample comprised 19 participants (6 females and 13 males), aged between 21 and 48 years (M = 32.26; SD = 9.03). Among these participants, 78.9% reported engaging in a hybrid work arrangement, 15.8% followed an on-site work regimen, and 5.3% worked remotely. Furthermore, 84.2% of participants reported sitting for 6 to 8 h per day, while 15.8% reported sitting for between 9 and 12 h daily. The quality of life of participants was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey. A paired samples t-test was employed to examine differences between dependent variables. The results revealed a statistically significant improvement in general health (p < 0.01), vitality (p < 0.01), social functioning (p < 0.05), and the mental health summary measure (p < 0.04). Promoting physical activity through workplace exercise programs offers substantial benefits for workers’ health and quality of life, contributing to the prevention of occupational diseases. Full article

Musculoskeletal disorders are prevalent among agricultural workers, increasing the risk of work-related diseases due to manual labor, repetitive tasks, and prolonged postures. This study evaluates the association between physical behaviors during work and non-work, measured objectively, and musculoskeletal pain in the neck, upper back, and lower back in viticulture workers. A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted with 75 viticulturists of both sexes aged 18 years or older. An accelerometer measured physical behaviors (lying down, sitting, standing, moving, walking, and sleeping) during work and non-work periods. Pain intensity was quantified using a 0–10 scale and categorized as “Low” and “High” pain intensity. Binary logistic regression tested the association between pain and time spent on physical behaviors. Results indicated a high prevalence of pain: 46.7% cervical, 52% upper back, and 60% lower back. Standing was the most common behavior during work, while lying and sitting were predominant during non-work. An increased sleeping time was associated with a decreased probability of experiencing high-intensity neck pain. Increased time spent lying down during non-work hours was associated with an increased probability of experiencing high-intensity upper back pain. No physical behavior was associated with high-intensity lower back pain. In conclusion, sedentary behaviors worsen upper back pain, and sleep reduces neck pain in viticulture workers. Full article