ORIGINAL PAPER
Metabolic syndrome prevalence and cardiovascular disease risk among school teachers
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1
Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
(Faculty of Medicine, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine)
2
Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
(Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences)
Online publication date: 2025-06-18
Corresponding author
Basma Hussein Mourad
Cairo University, Kasr Al Ainy Medical school, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Saray Street, El Manial, Cairo 11956, Egypt
HIGHLIGHTS
- Metabolic syndrome prevalence among studied teachers was 25.8%.
- Ten-year cardiovascular diseases risk: low 73%, borderline 8.8%, intermediate 15.1% and high 3.1%.
- Key risk factors: age, marriage, work duration, education, smoking, diabetes mellitus and obesity.
- Promotion of healthy behaviors, such as a balanced diet and regular exercise, is essential for teachers.
- School health programs should address teacher stress and overall health needs.
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ABSTRACT
Objectives: Educators face a wide range of recognized biological, physical, and other workplace hazards making them more susceptible to increasing
the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and associated cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) risks. The current research aimed to evaluate the prevalence
of MetS and the likelihood of CVDs among school teachers. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 281 participants
chosen from schools in the El-Maadi region of Cairo, Egypt. Socio-demographic, occupational, and medical data were collected. Standard
procedures were employed to assess fasting blood glucose (FBG), and lipid profile. Metabolic syndrome was defined using criteria from the International
Diabetes Federation (IDF). The 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk was estimated using the ASCVD risk score estimator as per the 2019 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association guideline. Results: Metabolic syndrome had an overall
prevalence rate of 25.8%. Among the instructors evaluated, 73% had a low 10-year risk of getting CVDs, whereas 3.1% had a high risk. The study
identified significant correlations between the prevalence of MetS and many characteristics, including age, marital status, length of job, level of education,
smoking, prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, central obesity, measured blood pressure, FBG levels, and dyslipidemia among the participants. Conclusions: School teachers exhibit a considerable prevalence of MetS and risk of CVDs. Health promotion activities and stress management interventions should be implemented. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2025;38(3)