[Women occupation, marital status and non-communicable disease risk factors: findings from the Tehran lipid and glucose study]

ABSTRACT

To investigate the relationship between the presence of risk factors for non-communicable diseases and occupation and marital status in Tehran women. The sample was composed of 566 working women [210 single, 350 married] and 561 age-matched non-working subjects [151 single, 410 married], selected randomly from among 15005 participants in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study [TLGS]. Questionnaire were used to obtain demographic information. In addition, we recorded height, weight, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, body mass index [BMI], and waist to hip ratio [WHR]. Serum total cholesterol, triglycerides [TG], and high-density lipoprotein [HDL] levels were measured and oral glucose tolerance test [GTT] performed. Low-density lipoprotein [LDL] levels were calculated using the Friedwald formula. We used Student's t test and one-way analysis of variance [ANOVA] to compare working and non-working women. Variables entered in the model included occupation, marital status and education. The mean +/- SD age in single and married subjects in the working group was 34.3 +/- 8.4 and 34.7 +/- 9.0 years, respectively. The same values for single and married subjects in the non-working group were 34.4 +/- 8.0 and 35.0 +/- 9.0 years. There were significant associations between marital status and the prevalence of all non-communicable disease risk factors [P<0.01]. We also detected higher waist circumference and diastolic blood pressure in non-working women compared to those who had a job. The data show higher levels of some non-communicable disease risk factors in non-working as compared to working women. All non-communicable disease risk factors were higher among married subjects: