Factors that Influence the Development of Cerebro-and-Cardiovascular Disease in Manufacturing Workers

Purpose : This study aims to assess the risk of developing cerebro-and-cardiovascular diseases in manufacturing workers and to determine factors that influence such development. Methods : The study involved 770 workers from a manufacturing facility in Pregion, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The data were collected during the routine health check-ups conducted by an affiliated health screening institution from May 10 to May 26, 2023. Based on the official statement of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, measurements of blood pressure, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides, fasting blood sugar, weight, and height were used to classify low and moderate-to-high-risk groups for developing cerebro-and-cardiovascular diseases. Differences among the low-risk and moderate-to-high-risk groups regarding demographic, occupational, and health-related behaviors were assessed using chi-square tests and t-tests. Factors influencing moderate to high risk for cerebro- and-cardiovascular diseases were analyzed using binary logistic regression, with a significance level of p < .05. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS WIN 21.0. Results : Among the study participants, 703 (92.3%) were classified as low-risk, while 59 (7.7%) were classified as moderate-to-high-risk for developing cerebro-and-cardiovascular diseases. The odds of being in the moderate-to-high-risk group compared to the low-risk group were 86.95 times higher for those aged 50-59, 15.93 times higher for current smokers, 1.15 times higher with elevated systolic blood pressure, 1.10 times higher with elevated diastolic blood pressure, 0.89 times lower with low HDL cholesterol, and 1.05 times higher with elevated blood sugar. Conclusion : Based on these findings, health managers should develop, test, and implement interventions to reduce the risk of cerebro-and-cardiovascular diseases. These programs could include smoking cessation initiatives and lifestyle-modifying interventions to lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels while increasing HDL cholesterol levels.