Careggi wellness project: preliminary results

Purpose: A correct lifestyle represents a form of primary and tertiary prevention to non-communicable chronic diseases. At Careggi University Hospital it is necessary for health professionals to become effective promoters of good habits: the message provided to patients will in fact be considered less credible if they themselves do not begin to adopt correct behaviours. The purpose of the study is to investigate a selection of anthropometric, fitness, physical activity and dietary characteristics of Careggi Hospital operators. Methods: 272 employees (190 women and 82 men) were enrolled. Body composition, eating habits, physical fitness and physical activity levels were evaluated. The assessments included: anthropometry, skinfold thickness and bioimpedance; National Institute for Research of the Food and Nutrition questionnaire (INRAN); 6MWT, sit & reach test, handgrip and 30 s chair test; International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Results: Female employees (51.5 ± 7.9 years, BMI = 24.7 ± 4.5 kg/ m2) had a mean waist circumference of 82.1 ± 11.4 cm, with percentages of overweight and obesity of 27.9% and 11.6%, respectively. Percentage values of fat mass ranged between 22.7% and 46.6% with anaverage value of 37.4%. Male employees (47.4 ± 10.4 years, BMI = 25.2 ± 3.1 kg/m2) had a mean waist circumference of 91.1 ± 9.2 cm; 43.9% of them were overweight, 7.3% of them were obese. The fat mass was in a range between 16.2% and 36.8% with an average value of 27.3%. Average consumption frequencies were lower than INRAN recommendation for cereals, fresh fruit, vegetables and milk/yogurt, and were higher for sweet foods. Men and women covered a 6 min walking distance of 658.0 ± 90.1 mand 583.2 ± 77.1 mrespectively, reaching a heart rate of 105.7 ± 21.6 bpm and 109.3 ± 18.5 bpm. The sit & reach test showed a result of 3.0 ± 7.9 cm for women and - 4.9 ± 10.0 cm for men, while limb strength was normal. As regards the analysis of data relating to physical activity, it was possible to observe that on average the recommended levels of physical activity were not reached. Likewise, average daily steps recorded by mobile devices were below the recommended value of 10000. Conclusions: Lifestyle assessment involves an interdisciplinary approach and the aspects to be considered are numerous. The results of the present study should be considered as preliminary (the employees of Careggi Healthcare are over 5000) and show a high variability between employees. This variability depends on the habits that each operator has in the everyday life, whose possible modification, in order to improve health conditions, requires a personalized approach.