Correlation between excess weight and food handling in food service workers. Bucaramanga, Colombia

Abstract

Introduction: Food service workers have greater availability of food for consumption, which may alter their nutritional status. Objective: To assess the association between being a food handler and the presence of excess weight or obesity in food service workers. Materials and methods: Analytical cross-sectional study with food service workers from Bucaramanga, Colombia (n=109). A group of food handlers (exposed group) and another group that did not handle food (unexposed group) were selected. Binomial regression models were used to estimate the association between variables of interest. All participants signed informed consent. Results: The prevalence of excess weight or obesity was 69.44% (CI95%: 59.84-77.94). Food handlers had a higher prevalence of excess weight and obesity than other workers surveyed (35% vs. 10% and 23% vs. 7%, respectively; p=0.030). After adjustment for sex, age and level of physical activity, the variables associated with overweight or obesity in workers were food handler and low/ medium socioeconomic status. Conclusions: Food handlers are more likely to be overweight.