title: Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among healthcare staff in a large healthcare institution in Singapore.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to determine the prevalence of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors among health workers (HWs) and non-health workers (NHWs) in a large hospital in Singapore.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional prevalence survey of 3,384 hospital staff was conducted. The study comprised a self-administered questionnaire, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements, and laboratory analysis of fasting blood samples of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides and plasma glucose. HWs were doctors and nurses, while NHWs were health administrators, facility staff, clerks and administrative personnel.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 3,384 out of 3,987 eligible staff (response rate 84.9%) participated in the survey. The majority of the participants were female (81%, n = 2,755), and 64% (n = 2,179) were 20-39 years old. HWs comprised almost two-thirds of the staff employed (61.3%, n = 2076), of whom 87.7% were female, while 72.5% of NHWs were female. Compared to HWs, NHWs had a higher adjusted (age, ethnic group and gender) prevalence of personal history of diabetes mellitus (adjusted prevalence rate ratio [PRR] 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-2.64), cigarette smoking (adjusted PRR 1.85, 95% CI 1.48-2.32), obesity (adjusted PRR 1.36, 95% CI 1.05-1.75) and elevated systolic pressure (adjusted PRR 1.74, 95% CI 1.31-2.31).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in NHWs is higher than that in HWs. Health promotion programmes should address this captive and neglected audience in healthcare organisations.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Manpower, Singapore. Lucy_Leong@mom.gov.sg
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.forename: Sin Eng
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Chia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult