Metabolic syndrome in collection and disposal of solid waste sector

This study aims to assess the frequency and factors relevant to metabolic syndrome in workers employed in the collection and disposal of solid waste sector.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in the major solid waste collecting and disposal company named İSTAÇ AŞ (İstanbul Environmental Protection and Waste Processing Corporation) in Istanbul, Turkey. All 715 male employees of the company were included in the study without sampling. The study was completed with 619 subjects. Since it was a small group, female workers were not taken into account in the study. Metabolic syndrome frequency was investigated according to the NCEP-ATP III criteria including the levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, waist perimeter, HDL, triglyceride, fasting blood glucose values.

Metabolic syndrome was present in 40.9% of participating employees. Metabolic syndrome was more common in those working in the excavation field (54.0%), such as caterpillar operators (56.5%), and less common in employees working in administrative offices, such as office staff or managers, who were under 35 years old and who had been working for less than 10 years (p < 0.05). Employees working in work stations other than administrative offices had a 2.60 times higher risk compared to those working in administrative offices.

Metabolic syndrome may be related to work station, job, age and period worked by the subjects.