Prevalence of Dyslipidemia among International Oil Company Workers: A Cross-sectional Study in Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Dyslipidemia refers to an abnormal level of lipids (fats) in the blood, including high cholesterol, triglycerides, or both. Unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, mental & physical stress from job activities are all examples of work-related issues. According to a research investigating the link between job stress and dyslipidemia, reported that job stress was related to dyslipidaemia even after controlling the confounding factors. Aim: This study aims to evaluate the Prevalence of dyslipidaemia and related variables among IOC (International Oil Company) workers in Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study among 300 IOC workers in Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria.Out of the total 300 workers, 20% of them underwent biochemical tests. The participants were selected through multistage random sampling. Data were collected through a pre-structured questionnaire on the socio-economic, biochemical and other anthropometric measurements along with height & weight. Lipid profiles were measured from blood samples. Dyslipidaemia was classified and data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0 with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The average age of the staff was 40.5 years, with a significant gender difference (p < 0.001). Males had higher mean values for BMI, WC, SBP, and DBP compared to females (p < 0.01). Hypertension and diabetes affected 34.7% and 14.2% of the staff, respectively. Males had higher levels of TC and LDL, while females had slightly higher TG and HDL levels, though the gender differences were not statistically significant. About 78% of staff engaged in inadequate physical activity, while 21.3% had medium or adequate activity levels. Additionally, 15.3% of the staff were active smokers. Conclusion: The study reported that IOC workers, particularly men, had significant rates of dyslipidemia, which was associated with cardiovascular risks and urban-related occupational health problems.