Occupation and risk factors for type 2 diabetes: a study with health workers

We aimed to analyze the interrelationships between occupation and prevalence of risk factors for type 2 diabetes in workers at a hospital in Fortaleza-CE. Cross-sectional study with 299 subjects and form-based, covering socio-demographic concerns and risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes. Results showed that 40.5% of the sample were nursing workers, 63.9% were women, 68.6% were under 35 years of age, 49.5% had an education level equivalent to high school and 51.9% had no marriage or stable union. Comparison among the prevalence of risk factors in different occupations was significant (p<0.05) for the following factors: abdominal obesity, waist-hip ratio increased, sedentary lifestyle and HDL-cholesterol <35 mg/dl, and the nursing workers showed higher prevalence levels for these three factors. Hence, within the study context, nursing workers are at an increased risk for developing diabetes in comparison with other health professionals.