Nutritional variables and work-related accidents: A case-control study

• Published in: Work (Reading, Mass.) Vol. 49; no. 4; pp. 619 - 626
• Main Authors: de Medeiros, M.A.T., Zangirolani, Lia Thieme Oikawa, Cordeiro, Ricardo Carlos, da Costa, Proença, Rossana Pacheco, Diez-Garcia, Rosa Wanda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.01.2014; IOS Press BV
• Subjects: Accident prevention; Accidents; Adult; Brazil; Case-Control Studies; Feeding Behavior; Female; Foods; Governments; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Mathematical models; Middle Aged; Nutrition; Nutritive Value; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - mortality; Occupational accidents; Occupational health; Occupational Injuries - prevention & control; Organizational Policy; Physical fitness; Receiving; Risk; Risk Factors; Studies; Variables; Workplaces; Brazil; nutrition policies; food practices; nutritional status; Work-related accidents; occupational health
• ISSN: 1051-9815; 1875-9270
• DOI: 10.3233/WOR-131704

BACKGROUND: Nutritional aspects are important for the prevention of diseases and disorders, and few studies have focused on the relationship between risk of work injury and nutritional variables. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to verify whether nutritional variables constitute risk factors for work-related accidents. PARTICIPANTS: 1,422 industrial workers (600 cases plus 822 controls). METHODS: A case-control study was carried out in an industrial city in south-east Brazil. A multiple logistic regression model was adjusted using work-related accidents as the response variable and nutritional variables as predictors. The associations were assessed by Odds Ratio (OR), with a p-value < 0.05. RESULTS: 47.29% of the workers were overweight or obese. Protective factors for work-related accidents were (a) attending formal education for an above average number of years (OR=0.91, p< 0.0001) and (b) eating a traditional dinner (OR=0.67, p=0.0087). Risks factors were (a) hard physical effort in the workplace (OR=1.37, p< 0.0001), (b) having lunch in the workplace (OR=1.57, p<0.0001) and (c) receiving government benefits in the form of food stamps (OR=1.39, p=0.0350) or food baskets (OR=1.30, p=0.0414). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest an association between nutritional variables and work-related accidents. This indicates the need, during the formulation of policies for these kinds of government benefits, to include nutrition aspects in order to minimize work-related accidents risks.