Prevalence of non-communicable diseases and factors related to occupational physical activity among workers in the Amata Nakorn Industrial Estate

Abstract

Context: The prevalence of non-  communicable diseases (NCDs) is rising among the working-age population, and work conditions may pose a significant risk for NCDs.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the prevalence of NCDs in a workforce, and to correlate those NCDs with the levels of occupational physical activity exerted by those workers in their daily responsibilities.

Methodology: This study employed a retrospective approach by collecting data from the medical statistics system of the Vipharam Amata Nakorn Hospital, which serves workers from the Amata Nakorn Industrial Estate. In 2019, data was collected from the medical statistics of the hospital after the Estate workers underwent an annual health check. The total sample consisted of 1,618 individuals. Descriptive statistics were used to present prevalence rates of NCDs. From this group, 1,212 workers with complete job characteristic data (i.e., physicality of work) were selected and divided into two categories: 1,034 workers engaged in light-level physical activity and 178 workers in moderate-level physical activity. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the impact of occupational physical activity on disease, adjusting for gender and age effects.

Results: The prevalence of NCDs was as follows: obesity (28.67%), hypertension (13.91%), suspected diabetes mellitus (3.50%), abnormal triglycerides (27.69%), abnormal total cholesterol (53.74%), low HDL (10.38%), high LDL (72.32%), abnormal electrocardiogram (11.50%), abnormal
kidney function (8.05%), abnormal liver function (1.58%), positive hepatitis B virus infection (3.45%), abnormal audiogram (48.62%), abnormal spirometry (17.59%), abnormal occupational vision test (occupational) (72.92%). Regarding occupational physical activity, after adjusting for age and sex, workers with light-level physical activity were found to have a 1.5 times higher risk of obesity compared to those with moderate-level activity (AOR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.07–2.10). Likewise, a significantly higher risk of abnormal electrocardiograms were found—15 times compared to the moderate-level group (AOR: 15.22, 95% CI: 6.71–34.51).

Conclusion: Common NCDs among workers in the Amata Nakorn Industrial Estate include obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus-all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular complications. Workers with light-level occupational physical activity are particularly prone to NCDs. Therefore, lifestyle modifications are essential for preventing NCDs among Thai workers.