Are hospital workers' healthy habits adequeate? Influence of social determinants on health

Abstract

Introduction/objectives

With regard to people who work in hospitals: Do they have better health habits than the general population? Or, do they have worse, despite most of them have the appropriate knowledge to follow a healthy lifestyle? This is a study to explore the habits of people working in a hospital, to compare them with the general population and to identify higher risk profiles on which to prioritize preventive interventions.

Methods

Cross-sectional study on health habits with workers from a hospital in Madrid (n = 399) using a questionnaire based on the National Health Survey. Descriptive and cluster analysis to classify homogeneous individuals according to health habits and identify risk patterns. Logistic regression was used to identify the independent risk factors that determine the unhealthy profile.

Results

The health habits of workers in a hospital are similar to those of the general population. Determinants of health influenced its distribution: The higher the spending capacity, the better the health habits; the older their age, more chronic disease is seen; women suffer worse mental health.

Conclusions

The results are superimposed onto those of the general population, where they would have been expected to be healthier. There are risk profiles in which to prioritize preventive interventions to promote health.