title: The relationship between waist-to-hip ratio and occupational status and life-style factors among middle-aged male and female Japanese workers.
abstract: As a marker of body fat distribution and therefore level of obesity, the waist-to-hip ratio (W:H) is a good indicator of coronary heart disease risk status. The present study investigated the association between occupational status and life-style factors, and W:H of middle-aged Japanese male (n = 2,550) and female (n = 1,283) workers in a metal-products factory. A higher W:H was observed in the management level males as compared with the other male workers and we suggest this was promoted by the sedentary aspect of their work, as well as their higher levels of alcohol consumption and lower levels of leisure-time physical activity. In contrast, a higher W:H was recorded in female labourers, whose work was typically less sedentary as compared with female managers. Life-style factors included in the study were not related to this observation. We conclude that other unmeasured psychosocial factors may be important in promoting higher W:H in female labourers.
authors.affiliation: Health Care Centre, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishizaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morikawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Noborisaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D001824:Body Constitution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005082:Physical Exertion; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012923:Social Class