# Overweight or obesity and their association with cardiometabolic risk factors among oilfield workers in Chinese population: a cross-sectional study

## TL;DR

This study finds that being overweight or obese is strongly linked to heart and metabolic risks in Chinese oilfield workers.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence on the association between BMI and cardiometabolic risk factors in an occupational population.

## Key findings

- Obesity is strongly associated with higher odds of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia.
- RCS analyses showed a dose–response pattern with nonlinearity for high TG and low HDL-C.
- Stronger associations were observed for hypertension in smokers and low HDL-C in males.

## Abstract

Overweight and obesity are major factors associated with cardiometabolic disorders, yet evidence from occupational populations remains limited. This study aimed to assess the association between body mass index (BMI) and six cardiometabolic risk factors (CRFs)—hypertension, diabetes, high total cholesterol (TC), high triglycerides (TG), high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)—among Chinese oilfield workers.

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among 3,048 participants undergoing routine health examinations in 2022. BMI was categorized using Chinese-specific criteria. Logistic regression models and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were used to evaluate associations between BMI and six CRFs. Subgroup analyses were conducted for each of the six CRFs across pre-specified effect modifiers (age, sex, chemical exposure, night-shift work, and smoking status), and sensitivity analyses were also performed.

Overweight and obesity were associated with higher odds of all CRFs, with obesity showing the strongest associations. In fully adjusted models, obesity was significantly associated with higher odds of hypertension (OR = 7.08), diabetes (OR = 3.25), high TC (OR = 1.81), high TG (OR = 4.80), high LDL-C (OR = 3.07), and low HDL-C (OR = 3.36) compared to normal participants. RCS analyses revealed dose–response pattern, with nonlinearity for high TG and low HDL-C (both p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed generally consistent associations, with stronger associations observed for hypertension among current smokers, for diabetes in older participants, and for low HDL-C in male. Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of these findings.

BMI was independently associated with higher odds of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, with obesity exhibiting the strongest associations across CRFs. These findings underscore the relevance of excess adiposity in relation to early metabolic abnormalities and may help inform occupational health monitoring strategies.