title: Characteristics of government workers and association with diabetes and hypertension in the Cook Islands.
abstract: METHODS
  Twenty government departments in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the characteristics, presence of selected non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors and prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension among government workers who participated in 'wellness checks' in 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study involving analysis of survey data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 598 employees, 70% were aged 25-54 years and 55% were female. Two thirds were obese (body mass index ⩾30 kg/m(2)), and 76% had low levels of fruit and vegetable consumption. Of 50 (8.4%) participants diagnosed with DM (random blood glucose ⩾11 mmol/l, fasting ⩾7 mmol/l), 30 were self-reported and 20 were based on blood glucose. Of the 206 (34.4%) diagnosed with hypertension (systolic ⩾140 and/or diastolic ⩾90), 71 were self-reported and 135 were based on blood pressure measurements. Obesity was associated with hypertension (OR 2.79, 95%CI 1.4-5.4), but not with DM. No relationship was observed between fruit and vegetable consumption and presence or absence of DM or hypertension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study identified a high prevalence of obesity and hypertension among government employees in the Cook Islands, risk factors that are associated with NCDs such as DM and cardiovascular disease. 'Wellness checks' pave the way for interventions in workplace settings to prevent and better manage these diseases through early diagnosis, risk management, treatment and supportive public health policies.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Rarotonga, Cook Islands.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tairea
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kool
authors.affiliation: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France ; London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Harries
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand ; International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bissell
authors.affiliation: National Tuberculosis Programme, Ministry of Health, Suva, Fiji.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gounder
authors.affiliation: Centre for International Health, The University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Rarotonga, Cook Islands.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Avare
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Rarotonga, Cook Islands.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fariu
keywords: Cook Islands; diabetes mellitus; hypertension; occupational health; risk assessment