[Sleep disorders in cement workers].
L Soleo1, M S Manghisi, L Panuzzo
1Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Medicina Pubblica, Sezione di Medicina del Lavoro E.C. Vigliani, Università di Bari, Italy. l.soleo@medlav.uniba.it
Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia
|December 17, 2008
Summary
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) are common in cement workers. Obesity, age, and hypertension are linked to OSAS, but shift work is not. Health promotion for sleep disorders is recommended.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Sleep Medicine
- Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Context:
- Cement workers face occupational exposures and lifestyle factors.
- Sleep disorders like Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) are prevalent and linked to cardiovascular risk.
- Understanding risk factors in this population is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose:
- To estimate the prevalence of high risk for OSAS and EDS in cement workers.
- To investigate occupational, personal, and health-related risk factors associated with these sleep disorders.
- To explore the relationship between working conditions, particularly shift work, and sleep disorders.
Summary:
- A survey of 761 male cement workers revealed a 24.2% prevalence of high OSAS risk and 3.4% prevalence of EDS.
- OSAS risk was significantly associated with age, employment duration, BMI, ex-smoker status, obesity indicators (neck, waist, hip circumference), chronic fatigue, and hypertension.
- No association was found between OSAS risk and subjective working conditions, alcohol consumption, or shift work. EDS was not significantly correlated with any investigated variables.
- A 'healthy worker effect' was noted, where a shift to fixed daytime work was often due to pre-existing chronic conditions like hypertension and obesity.
Impact:
- The study highlights obesity as a significant risk factor for OSAS in cement workers, independent of shift work.
- Findings underscore the need for occupational health physicians to incorporate sleep disorder health promotion into surveillance programs.
- Early identification and management of sleep disorders can help mitigate cardiovascular risks in industrial workforces.
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