A Type2 Diabetes Risk Assessment in Health Care workers at Rashid Hospital – Dubai: A Cross-Sectional Study

Type 2 diabetes risk in Healthcare workers

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes is a common and costly chronic disease in general as well as in the working population and its prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate.  There are approximately 3000 healthcare professionals working in Rashid Hospital in different specialties. Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Type2 Diabetes risk among health care workers at Rashid Hospital. In addition, to find out the risk factors associated with type2 diabetes risk status and to identify the efficacy of lifestyle health promotion intended to improve health risk factors such as weight, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and lifestyle that may lead to type2 diabetes, affecting the health of healthcare workers and their work performance. Methodology: A cross sectional study carried out at Rashid hospital under Dubai Health Authority. A convenience sample was selected by using Open Epi software from the projected population size of 3000, confidence level of 95%, marginal error 5% and the z- score 1.96%. Data collected by using a standardized diabetes risk assessment tool (FINDRISC tool, Finnish Diabetes Risk Score) for a period of one year. The subjects involved are 50% nursing staff, 30% doctors and 20% other health care workers.  The inclusion criteria were staff in Rashid Hospital, both sex, age above 18 years and all nationalities. The exclusion criteria were pregnant women, people with known diabetes, age below 18 and above 65years. The data coding, entry and analysis done by SPSS 22 software version. Results: The study revealed that 45.1% of the participants were at low diabetes risk, 35.3% were at slightly elevated risk, 12.2% at moderate risk, 6.9% at high risk, and 0.5% at very high risk. Age, body mass index, waist circumference, daily physical activity, daily consumption of fruits, berries or vegetables, history in intake of antihypertensive medications, history of high blood glucose during illness or pregnancy and family history of diabetes had a great impact. Up on analysis Nurses are at high risk of contracting the disease shortly if you consider the combined value of high risk and very high-risk category (9.5%) as opposed to Doctors (1.8% +0.9%=2.6%) and other health care staff (4.5+1.5=6%).

Conclusion:  The modifiable factors like body weight, physical activities and food habit can decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes among Rashid Hospital healthcare professionals. Health promotion and education can decrease the diabetes risk and occupational health facility can support the follow up.