Proportion of metabolic syndrome and gender differences among information technology professionals undergoing preventive health check-up in Delhi and NCR.

Abstract

The modern workplace has undergone a significant transformation, with the information technology (IT) sector at the forefront. This shift from manual to knowledge-based work has brought about a new set of occupational health challenges, most notably those linked to a sedentary lifestyle and chronic stress. Among these, metabolic syndrome (MetS) stands out as a serious public health concern. Estimation of the proportion of MetS among IT professionals and gender differences. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Santosh Medical College Hospital and its affiliated clinics in the Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh, India, involving 399 patients who presented for preventive health check-ups from August 2023 to July 2024. Data were collected using a pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire and were subsequently analyzed with a suitable statistical package. The most significant number of participants were aged 31-40 years (30.3%), with a mean age of 46.69 ± standard deviation (SD) 15.33 years. Among the participants, 202 (50.6%) were male and 197 (49.4%) were female. The highest percentage of employees with a vigorous modified International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was male (2.8%), followed by female (1.0%). The highest percentage of employees with a mild modified IPAQ was female (14.5%), followed by male (12.3%). The highest percentage of employees with a moderate modified IPAQ was male (26.3%), followed by female (17.8%). It was observed that the prevalence of MetS according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel (NCEP) and Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria was 162 participants (40.60%). The finding is statistically significant (<i>P</i> = 0.04). The prevalence of MetS was 88 (43.56%) in males and 74 (37.56%) in females. The finding is statistically significant (<i>P</i> = 0.003). Physical activity levels based on the modified IPAQ: 176 (44.1%) employees had moderate physical activity, 107 (26.8%) had mild physical activity, 101 (25.3%) had no physical activity, and 15 (3.8%) had vigorous physical activity.