[Health profile of Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social workers]

To determine the association between risk factors, dietary habits, physical activity, alcohol and tobacco consumption, in the presence of obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, liver cirrhosis, and cancer, in health care workers (and other categories of employees) of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS).

From March to December 2009, 20,000 surveys were conducted among randomly selected workers on 35 IMSS delegations. The variables of the study included affiliation, sex, age employment status, registration of known diseases, smoking, nicotine addiction, risk drinking, alcohol addiction, eating and exercise habits.

Workers with poor eating habits, sedentary lifestyle smoking and alcohol abuse are more frequently exposed to the presence of obesity, hypertension and diabetes mellitus and these in turn to cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, myocardial infarction, cerebral vascular disease and liver cirrhosis.

This study shows that IMSS workers have a high exposure to risk factors associated with the presence of chronic diseases and their complications. It is necessary to enable them to improve significantly their health profile.