A comparison of Obesity and Some Cardiovascular Risk Factors between Male Employees of Gas Refinery, Petrochemical Plant, and Non-Industrial Workplaces

Background and purpose: It is likely that industrial workplaces increase the chance of developing obesity and cardiovascular disease risk factors in the employees. The aim of this study was to compare obesity and some health markers between male employees of gas refinery (first exposure group) and petrochemical staff (second exposure group) compared to non-industrial male employees of general population (non-exposure group). Method: Seventy five male employees of a petrochemical plant in Assaluyeh, eighty eight male employee of a gas refinery, and eighty six non-industrial male employees of the general population participated in this study. Weight, height, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, and serum total cholesterol and triglyceride were measured in all the participants. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS Software, version 16 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: The mean body mass index, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, and serum triglyceride level were significantly higher in gas refinery staff compared to petrochemical employees, and non-industrial employees (P-values <0.01). The number of subjects suffering from obesity, abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, and high fasting blood glucose in the gas plant staff was significantly more than the petrochemical plant staff and non-industrial employees (P-values <0.01). However, mean blood pressure and hypertension in non-industrial employees were significantly higher than the other two groups (P-values<0.01). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that obesity, high fasting blood glucose and hypertriglyceridemia were significantly higher in gas refinery staff. It is recommended to develop a health promotion program for weight management and prevention of obesity in the industrial work place staff.&nbsp;