Combating Obesity in a Workplace

January 6, 2025 updated by: Noha Mohammed Elghazally, Tanta University

Workplace Weight Control Program: Combating Obesity in a Multinational Factory in Egypt.

Aim of the work: to assess the impact of 3-months workplace weight control program on both work ability and the severity of Metabolic Syndrome.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Obesity is a significant public health concern worldwide. It is a multifactorial disease characterized by its complexity, as it is influenced by many factors as gut- brain axis, gut microbiome, genetics, behavioral, environmental ,and energy expenditure. A rising prevalence of obesity is observed in tandem with the acceleration of urbanization and economic transition.The obesity rate among employees and workers who constituting primarily the working population, has consequently witnessed a substantial surge and has garnered significant attention as a prominent public health issue.

According to (WHO), Egypt ranked 18th with highest prevalence of obesity globally and among the leading nations in obesity worldwide. The Prevalence of obesity among adults in Egypt in 2019 according to "100 million health survey" was 39.8% compared to 36% in 2017 in "STEP wise survey". In Egypt, the economic repercussions of obesity is nearly 62 Billion Egyptian pounds annually. This is the expense incurred for treatment comorbidities associated with obesity in adults which is direct health costs and indirect costs caused by decreased work abilities , work absenteeism, and may reach total disability.

Obesity is associated with metabolic abnormalities of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The prominent clinical features of this syndrome include abdominal adiposity, atherogenic dyslipidemia, the elevated blood pressure, insulin resistance, and proinflammatory and prothrombotic conditions.

The global prevalence of metabolic syndrome has been approximated to be approximately 25%. The observed rise in MetS is concomitant with the escalating prevalence of obesity. Obese populations have been associated with a greater prevalence of MetS, with values ranging from 59.6% to 75.7% of the individuals examined. According to the findings of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been an observed rise in the prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) among the adult population in the United States. Specifically, the prevalence has increased from 25.3% during the period of 1988-1994 to 34.2% during the period of 2007-2012. The subject of serious concern revolves around the impact of MetS within the working population, as it is closely linked to instances of job absenteeism resulting from illness, diminished productivity, and escalated healthcare expenditures.

Therefore, implementing of interventions aimed at preventing and treating MetS can significantly influence healthcare expenses and costs associated with short-term incapacity, while also enhancing job capacity. Emphasizing the potential for increased health-related productivity among the working population through the mitigation of metabolic syndrome severity.

The concept of work ability encompasses an individual's capacity to engage in work-related activities, and the intricate interplay between various cognitive, physical, and social factors, as well as the influence of diverse environmental elements. Obesity has a tremendous effect on the employee work ability, frequent absenteeism from work and long sick leave as obese workers and employees struggle to remain in the workforce.

Worksites are an appropriate setting and places of choice for implementing obesity intervention programs. An employee dedicates a significant amount of time to their work , and Workplaces possess various attributes, including well-established communication channels and social support systems, which have the potential to facilitate the implementation of multi-component, ecological, and individual interventions. In this context, the aim of our research is to implement 3- months obesity control program to improve work ability and to control the severity of the metabolic syndrome among of employees and workers in a multinational factory in Egypt.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

154

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • Egypt
      • Tanta, Egypt
        • Tanta University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

participants will involve manual workers and office employees who are manual workers and office employees who had BMI of ≥25 kg/m2 , history of repeated sick leaves from work related health problems especially musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and obesity related comorbidities as hypertension, diseases of the heart, hyperlipidemia ,diabetes and metabolic syndrome, and their age is above 18 years old .

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Manual workers and office employees
  • BMI of ≥25 kg/m2 ,
  • History of repeated sick leaves from work related health problems especially (musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and obesity related comorbidities as hypertension, diseases of the heart, hyperlipidemia ,Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolic syndrome)
  • Age is above 18 years old

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Age lower than 18
  • BMI 24.9 and less

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change of severity of the Metabolic Syndrome components
Time Frame: 3 months

The change in the severity of the metabolic syndrome components following 3-months obesity control intervention in comparison with the baseline.

All participants were assessed for the five criteria of metabolic syndrome (according to IDF&AHA): Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed if study Participants have at least three of the following five items: (1) Central obesity (waist circumference ≥ 102cm in male; ≥ 88 cm in female),(2) Blood pressure ≥130/85 mmhg,(3) Dyslipidemia (TG ≥ 150mg/dl), (4) Dyslipidemia (HDL-C < 40mg/dl in male; < 50mg/dl in female), and(5)Fasting blood glucose ≥ 110mg/dl.

The blood pressure of participants in the office setting will be assessed and venous blood samples will be collected in order to assess blood lipids and fasting blood glucose levels. The safety blood profile will be conducted using established methodologies in a qualified laboratory specializing in clinical chemistry.
3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Work Ability of participants
Time Frame: 3 months
The Work ability of the study subjects will be measured before and after the obesity management intervention program using a standard questionnaire named Work Ability Index. The questionnaire comprises seven items, each utilizing a variable scoring system. The first assesses individual's present work capacity in relation to their best level of work capacity achieved in the past( 0 to 10). Second measures work capacity in respect to job expectations(2 to 10).Third pertains to the "number of current diseases diagnosed by a physician" (1to 7). The fourth pertains to the assessment of job impairment caused by diseases, (1 to 6). The fifth pertains to sick leave taken within the previous year, (1 to 5). sixth pertains to the individual's self-assessment of their work abilities during the past two years, (1, 4, or 7). Seventh element in the sequence is denoted as "mental resources" 1 to 4. WAI total score ranges from 2 to 49, low ( 2 - 27), medium (28 - 36), good(37-43),very good(44-49)
3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Tanta University

Investigators

  • Study Director: Rania El sallamy, Tanta University Faculty of Medicine

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

January 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

March 31, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

April 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 31, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 6, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 6, 2025

Last Verified

January 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • obesity in a workplace

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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