Factors Associated with Cardiovascular Disease Risk among Employees at a Portuguese Higher Education Institution

Maria Piedade Brandão, Pedro Sa-Couto, Gonçalo Gomes, Pedro Beça and Juliana Reis
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Maria Piedade Brandão: School of Health [ESSUA], Agras do Crasto-Campus Universitário de Santiago, University of Aveiro, Edifício 30, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Pedro Sa-Couto: Department of Mathematics [DMAT], University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Gonçalo Gomes: Department of Communication and Art [DECA], University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Pedro Beça: Department of Communication and Art [DECA], University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Juliana Reis: Department of Mathematics [DMAT], University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 2, 1-15

Abstract: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and to assess the CVD risk (CVDRisk) in a sample of workers at a specific workplace: a higher education institution in Portugal. Data were collected using a questionnaire (e.cuidHaMUs.QueST ® ) with 345 HEI workers from June 2017–June 2018 with a high response rate (93.3%). Two constructs of risks for CVD were considered: (i) metabolic risk and hypertension (CVDRisk1); and (ii) modifiable behavioural risk (CVDRisk2). Logistic regression analyses were used to establish a relationship between risk indexes/constructs (CVDRisk1 and CVDRisk2) and groups of selected variables. The most prevalent CVD risk factor was hypercholesterolaemia (43.2%). Sixty-eight percent of participants were in the construct CVDRisk1 while almost half of the respondents were in CVDRisk2 (45.2%). The consumption of soft drinks twice a week or more contributed to a significantly increased risk of CVD in CVDRisk1. Lack of regular exercise and lack of daily fruit consumption significantly increased the risk of CVD in CVDRisk2. The challenge to decision makers and the occupational medical community is to incorporate this information into the daily practices of health surveillance with an urgent need for health promotional education campaigns in the workplace.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease risk; workplace settings; central Portugal; health risk factors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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