"A heart for Vienna"--the prevention program for the big city. Blue-collar workers as a special target group

To create awareness of cardiovascular health status by screening for cardiovascular risk factors, and thereby motivate people to improve their life style habits. This was carried out in form of a project within the framework of the government prevention programme "A Heart for Vienna" focussing on urban blue-collar workers, a population at greatest risk for developing cardiovascular disease.

The prevalence of hypertension, overweight, obesity, abdominal obesity and smoking were 29.7 %, 62.4 %, 16.4 %, 29.3 %, and 49.8 %, respectively. 87.6 % presented at least one of the screened cardiac risk factors. The prevalence of hypertension, overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity increased with age. Hypertension, overweight and abdominal obesity were significantly more prevalent among unskilled compared to skilled male bluecollar workers. The prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity was more than 1.5 times higher among female compared to male blue-collar workers.

Blue-collar workers represent a population where health promotion and prevention of cardiovascular disease should have high priority. Within the bluecollar group itself the cardiovascular risk profile worsened with reduction in skill level.