Health status of nursing staff in charge of the "5 steps for your health" program: a cross-sectional descriptive study

Nurses play a key role in comprehensive health care in the primary care level. They devote time to the promotion of healthy life styles in the community. Moreover, chronic diseases, which include obesity, are one of the main challenges of the twenty-first century. In consideration of this problem the Ministry of Health has launched a preventive program that targets the general population through the primary care centers. Implementation considers the involvement of all health care staff responsible for outreach to the communities and for being an example of healthy life styles. The aim of this study is to determine the health status of nurses in charge of the prevention program, using anthropometric and clinical tests. We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive study using quantitative methods. The study population is a sample of 46 nurses that includes all head nurses and nurses in charge of the program for all health centers that comprise the Sanitary Jurisdiction of Nezahualcoyotl. 86.96% are female and 13.04% are male. 30.60% is obese and 52.17% is overweight. The gender analysis shows that 40.63% of women are overweight and 57.5% obese, while 14.29% of men are overweight and 7.14% are obese. Regarding waist circumference, 91.30% of the study population shows cardiovascular risk (92.50% of women = 80 cm, and 83.33% of men = 90 cm). 52.17% of the sample has blood glucose levels changes (= 100 mg /dl), 55% of women and 33.33% of men. 78.26% have hypercholesterolemia and 73.91% has hypertriglyceridemia. Men have a higher prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia (88.33% versus 72.50%), while women have a higher prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (80% versus 66.67%). In conclusion, the state health care system should pay attention to the health status of the nursing staff that implements the preventive program, as it also is beset by the same conditions it should attempt to prevent.