Fatores associados ao excesso de peso e à obesidade em motoristas e cobradores do transporte público da região metropolitana de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the factors associated with obesity and overweight in workers in public transportation system in the cities of the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais-Brazil. A transversal and analytical epidemiological study was conducted with 1,448 road (drivers and collectors) of Belo Horizonte, Contagem and Betim. The data was collected through a questionnaire in the first half of 2012, concerning sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics, contract with the company, workload, conditions of the bus and features of breaks during the workday. To calculate the proportion of overweight, a body mass index (BMI) 25 kg/m2 was used as the cutoff point and to calculate obesity, the cut-off was BMI 30 kg/m2. For data analysis were used descriptive statistics (relative and absolute frequencies), bivariate (Chi-square test of Pearson), and multivariate analysis (Poisson regression) with a significance level of 5%. Of the 1,448 workers investigated, the majority was driver (53.4%), male (87.4%), aged between 18 and 40 years (67.3%), with 08 years or more of school (81.8%), working at the same company between 0 and 2 years (42.2%), and at the same position from 0 to 2 years (37.3%). The highlights were the characteristics related to the conditions of the bus and features on breaks during the workday, with a high frequency of those who felt the body vibrate during service, those who had no breaks for lunch during the day and those who almost always/always worked overtime or double journeys. As for risky behaviour, 15.8 of workers were smokers, 13.3% made abusive use of alcohol and 51.7% did not practice physical activities. It was possible to identify that 54.6% (IC 95%: 52,0-57,2) of the participants were overweight and that 16.1% (IC 95%: 14,3-18,1) were classified as obese. In the analysis of the factors associated with overweight, being a driver (RP: 1,17; IC 95%: 1,06-1,29), being older (RP: 1,25; IC 95%: 1,04-1,50 // RP: 1,32; IC 95%: 1,15-1,52 // RP: 1,39; IC 95%: 1,22-1,58), being sedentary (RP: 1,18; IC 95%: 1,01-1,39) remained associated. In the analysis of obesity, remained independently associated being female (RP: 1,55; IC 95%: 1,18-2,05), being 31 to 40 years old (RP: 1,90; IC 95%: 1,37-2,64) and 41 to 50 years old (RP: 2,10; IC 95%: 1,49-2,95) and being sedentary (RP: 1,70; IC 95%: 1,06-2,71). The proportion of obesity was low when compared with other national and international studies, however, this proportion deserves emphasis, because the study regards workers with formal employment, which should be a factor of protection compared to the unemployed worker. Thus the proportion of this outcome calls for attention. The factors associated with the analyzed outcomes should be highlighted, with focus in the lifestyle (being sedentary), and specially those related to the position (being a driver). Such findings put in evidence the need to regard actions that stimulate workers to take part in healthy activities and improve management and work organization, because the work should promote health and well being to the employees in the public transportation system.