CROSS-SECTIONAL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY ON THE PREVALENCE OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES IN OFFSHORE WORKFORCE ATTENDING BIENNIAL MEDICAL EXAMINATION AT A PRIVATE HEALTHCARE SETTING IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for most global deaths as per the WHO (World Health Organization). The burden of NCDs has been steadily increasing over the years, and these diseases are responsible for approximately 71% of all deaths globally. Diabetes, cancer, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases (stroke and heart disease) are among the leading causes of death worldwide as an invisible pandemic. These conditions contribute significantly to the global healthcare burden. NCDs are also referred to as chronic disease conditions that prolong for a certain duration due to behavioural, psychological, genetic, and environmental factors that result in 74% of all deaths globally. Therefore, this study aims to understand the need to intervene early to prevent the rise in mortality related to non-communicable diseases in the Middle East offshore workforce. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design to analyse the prevalence of NCDs at Biennial medical examinations, particularly in the offshore workforce. The offshore workforce who visited a private medical centre for their biennial medical exam were extracted from EHRs (electronic health records) from Dec 2022 to Dec 2023 with a focus on obesity, prediabetes and diabetes, lipid abnormalities, and blood pressure recordings, and aged ≥18 years. descriptive statistics, chi-square test, correlation, and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test were conducted on the recorded physical parameters and laboratory data. Results: The data analyzed showed the following results: participants' mean age was 44.43 years (SD = 8.799), with a BMI (body mass index) mean of 27.9142 (SD = 4.64731), indicating a prevalence of overweight individuals. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) had a mean of 124.180 mmHg (SD = 14.1437), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) had a mean of 79.636 mmHg (SD = 8.4288), reflecting a normotensive range overall. The mean fasting blood sugar (FBS) was 95.852 mg/dL (SD = 13.8719), and the mean HbA1c was 6.456% (SD = 1.0736), suggesting a notable presence of prediabetes. Lipid profile analysis showed mean total cholesterol (T. Cholesterol) at 183.91 mg/dL (SD = 39.224), triglycerides (TLG) at 107.862 mg/dL (SD = 68.9641), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) at 41.304 mg/dL (SD = 10.3856), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) at 120.653 mg/dL (SD = 34.7183), and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) at 21.499 mg/dL (SD = 14.2262). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test indicated that all parameters, except for triglycerides, deviated significantly from normal distribution (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The analysis of the offshore workforce attending biennial medical examinations in the Middle East reveals a significant prevalence of NCDs (non-communicable diseases), particularly obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. The data show that a substantial proportion of the workforce is overweight or obese, with a notable correlation between age and BMI. High rates of prehypertension and hypertension, along with significant associations between obesity and elevated blood pressure, underscore the critical need for targeted health interventions.