Prevalence of Dyslipidemia among International Oil Company Workers: A Cross-sectional Study in Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Masterson Sampson Wedeh
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
ThankGod C. Omuruka
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
Nicholas Asiwe *
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Delta, Agbor, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Dyslipidemia refers to an abnormal level of lipids (fats) in the blood, including high cholesterol, triglycerides, or both. Unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, mental & physical stress from job activities are all examples of work-related issues. According to a research investigating the link between job stress and dyslipidemia, reported that job stress was related to dyslipidaemia even after controlling the confounding factors.
Aim: This study aims to evaluate the Prevalence of dyslipidaemia and related variables among IOC (International Oil Company) workers in Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study among 300 IOC workers in Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria.Out of the total 300 workers, 20% of them underwent biochemical tests. The participants were selected through multistage random sampling. Data were collected through a pre-structured questionnaire on the socio-economic, biochemical and other anthropometric measurements along with height & weight. Lipid profiles were measured from blood samples. Dyslipidaemia was classified and data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0 with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.
Results: The average age of the staff was 40.5 years, with a significant gender difference (p < 0.001). Males had higher mean values for BMI, WC, SBP, and DBP compared to females (p < 0.01). Hypertension and diabetes affected 34.7% and 14.2% of the staff, respectively. Males had higher levels of TC and LDL, while females had slightly higher TG and HDL levels, though the gender differences were not statistically significant. About 78% of staff engaged in inadequate physical activity, while 21.3% had medium or adequate activity levels. Additionally, 15.3% of the staff were active smokers.
Conclusion: The study reported that IOC workers, particularly men, had significant rates of dyslipidemia, which was associated with cardiovascular risks and urban-related occupational health problems.
Keywords: Dyslipidemia, cholesterol, triglycerides, Unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, mental & physical stress