Diabetes Mellitus in Bangladesh Police Force: Relation with Work Stress and Lifestyle Habits

Abstract Background: Diabetes mellitus is rising at an alarming pace worldwide, with South-East Asia and Bangladesh emerging as critical hotspots due to rapid urbanization, unhealthy diets, and sedentary lifestyles. Alongside these lifestyle determinants, occupational stress, disrupted sleep, and irregular routines, particularly among police officers, further heighten vulnerability to the disease. Though limited research has explored these intersections in Bangladesh, there is an urgent need to investigate how work stress and lifestyle factors shape diabetes risk in this high-risk occupational group. Methods: This cross-sectional study explored the association of work stress, lifestyle habits, and diabetes among Bangladeshi police officers across multiple stations over a five-month period. A total of 306 active-duty personnel aged 20–55 years with at least six months of service were included through convenience sampling. Data were gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire covering socio-demographic details, occupational history, lifestyle practices, and diabetes-related information. Results: The study revealed that while most police officers were free from diabetes, a notable proportion was affected, highlighting its importance as a public health issue within this occupational group. Age, family history, and hypertension emerged as strong demographic and comorbidity-related factors, whereas sex, marital status, and education showed little influence. Lifestyle behaviors were largely similar between groups, though the use of smokeless tobacco products stood out as being more common among those with diabetes. Occupational patterns showed that lower rank, higher income, and especially longer job duration were strongly associated with diabetes, reflecting the cumulative impact of prolonged service. On the other hand, duty hours, sleep patterns, and perceived job stress appeared to play a lesser role in disease prevalence. Conclusions: This study shows that diabetes among Bangladeshi police officers is shaped by age, family history, hypertension, tobacco use, and long service duration, with lower ranks being especially vulnerable.