Factors predicted metabolic syndrome among health care workers exposed to coronavirus disease 2022 in Erbil, Iraq

Abstract

Background and objective: There have been a recent concern about life style and stress exposure among health care workers during corona virus infection pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the lifestyle of the staff working in public hospitals in Erbil city during the years of 2021-2022. Methods: This is a survey involving data of the available hospital staff from 1st of January 2021 to 1st of April 2022. The hospital staff were including the reception staff, logistic staff, doctors and medical assistances working at the hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, 313 hospital staff are taken conveniently from the working hospitals. Demographic data and laboratory investigations were taken from all the participants. Results: During COVID19 metabolic syndrome was high among staffs. Females shown to have higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome (28.9%) than males (12%). Have a car (19.9%), living in rural area (21.7%) primary education (33.3%) have highest prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, regarding the occupation of staffs, operation assistants have highest prevalence of metabolic syndrome (37.2%) followed by reception staff (28.6%) and pharmacists (25%). Association with male sex (p value<0.001), marriage (p value=0.01) with metabolic syndrome was statistically significant. Conclusions: During COVID19 pandemic metabolic syndrome was common among staffs. Aging, sex, education, occupation, smoking, fatty diet, marriage, family history of diabetes and cardiac disease are the main risk factors for metabolic syndrome. People with these risk factors should be assessed for metabolic syndrome and educated about the risks and possible consequences in the future.