Occupations Associated with Poor Cardiovascular Health in Women: The Women's Health Initiative Observational Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Occupational Health
• Cardiovascular Health

Background:

• Limited research exists on how occupation impacts cardiovascular health (CVH) in older women.
• Understanding these associations is crucial for developing targeted health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between specific occupations and cardiovascular health (CVH) in older women.
• To identify occupational categories associated with increased risk of poor CVH.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data on 7 American Heart Association's CVH metrics, scored as ideal (1) or non-ideal (0).
• Employed multivariable logistic regression to assess odds of poor overall CVH (score 0-2).
• Compared women in top 20 occupational categories to those not employed in them, adjusting for demographics.

Main Results:

• Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks showed higher odds of poor CVH.
• First-line supervisors of sales workers and office/administrative support workers were also more likely to have poor CVH.
• Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides demonstrated an association with poor overall CVH.

Conclusions:

• Several common occupations among women are significantly associated with poorer cardiovascular health.
• Findings suggest a need for occupation-specific health promotion and disease prevention programs for women.