Focus on Polish nurses’ health condition: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background The nursing profession carries with it many negative factors and a high risk of developing chronic diseases, including overweight and obesity. According to statistics, the health condition of this professional group is much worse than that of the average population of the same age. As the largest and most trusted professional group in the world, nurses are critical to the health of any nation. The aim of the study was to assess the Polish nurse’s health condition based on real measurements of parameters important for the occurrence of metabolic diseases. Methods This is the cross-sectional, conducted among two age groups of Polish nurses (<50 years and ≥50 years). Study included the measurements with DXA, the assessment of glucose concentration and lipid profile, the measurement of blood pressure and socio-demographic data of the surveyed nurses. Results The majority of respondents above 50 years old were nurses with elevated total cholesterol (79.3%), elevated LDL cholesterol (72.8%), 42.4% of studied nurses had hypertension. Conclusion Individual, local and national measures to prevent and support the health of this professional group are needed.