Effects of nutrition and exercise health behaviors on predicted risk of cardiovascular disease among workers with different body mass index levels.
Workplace health promotion programs should be tailored according to individual needs and efficient intervention. This study aimed to determine the effects of nutrition and exercise health behaviors on predicted risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) when body mass index (BMI) is considered. In total, 3350 Taiwanese workers were included in this cross-sectional study. A self-reported questionnaire was used to measure their nutrition and exercise behaviors. Data on anthropometric values, biochemical blood determinations, and predicted CVD risk (using the Framingham risk score) were collected. In multiple regression analyses, the nutrition behavior score was independently and negatively associated with CVD risk. Exercise was not significantly associated with the risk. However, the interactive effect of exercise and BMI on CVD risk was evident. When stratified by BMI levels, associations between exercise and CVD risk were statistically significant for ideal weight and overweight subgroups. In conclusion, nutrition behavior plays an important role in predicting the CVD risk. Exercise behavior is also a significant predictor for ideal weight and overweight workers. Notably, for underweight or obese workers, maintaining health-promoting exercise seems insufficient to prevent the CVD. In order to improve workers' cardiovascular health, more specific health-promoting strategies should be developed to suit the different BMI levels.
Occupational Health Center, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan. Juihua55@ms35.hinet.net.
Jui-Hua
JH
Huang
Room of Clinical Psychology, Chung-Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 402, Taiwan. shuling@csmu.edu.tw.
Shu-Ling
SL
Huang
Department of Psychology, Chung-Shan Medical University, Taichung 402, Taiwan. davidrhlee@yahoo.com.tw.
Ren-Hau
RH
Li
Occupational Health Center, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan. tokatherinew@gmail.com.
Ling-Hui
LH
Wang
Occupational Health Center, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan. 396185@cch.org.tw.
Yu-Ling
YL
Chen
Occupational Health Center, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan. 106159@cch.org.tw.
Feng-Cheng
FC
Tang
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult