Obesity Among Male Employees at Saudi Aramco: Trends, Factors, and Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Recommendations

Alexander Woodman; Nizar Jaoua

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15

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Obesity Among Male Employees at Saudi Aramco: Trends, Factors, and Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Recommendations

Alexander Woodman, Nizar Jaoua

Published in American Journal of Internal Medicine (Volume 6, Issue 4)

Received: 29 June 2018 Accepted: 13 July 2018 Published: 7 August 2018

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Abstract

The purpose of this primary data analysis is to estimate the prevalence of obesity in a specific workplace in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The information would then be used to predict the prevalence of obesity among the male workforce of Saudi Aramco, the largest oil company in the world. A total of N=1,000 male employees (883Saudis, 117non-Saudis), aged 19-65, participated. They were randomly selected from several male Saudi Aramco stations and were asked to take a survey. Chi-square test was used to measure the significance effect of some independent variables on the BMI status. The overall prevalence was estimated, with a confidence level of 95%, at 22.5±2.6% for obesity, 36.7±3% for overweight, and 1±0.6% for underweight. The figures highly depended on the region where they spent their childhood, their age, nationality, and amount of exercise performed per week. For instance, 27.4±4.2% of those who grew up in the Eastern Province were estimated to be obese (vs. 16.5±3.5% among those raised elsewhere in KSA), and 28.7±5% of those who rarely exercise (less than 1 hour per week) were considered obese (vs. 17.8±4.1% among those who work out for at least 3 hours per week). As a result, a logistic model, involving these factors, was used for future prediction. For example, non-Saudis would be about 2.3 times more likely to be obese, and those aged 30-39 would be about 1.9 times more likely to be obese compared to “under 30” and “50 or more” age groups and 1.7 times more likely to be so than those aged 40-49. In addition, the lowest and highest conditional probabilities of obesity relative to this model were determined (6.6% and 66.4%). As a result, the likeliest male employees to be obese; the non-Saudi ones, raised in the Easter Province, aged 30-39 and exercise very little (less than 1h/w), would actually have more than two chances in three to be obese. Based on relatively concerning figures about obesity in male employees of Saudi Aramco, this paper recommends workplace wellness program model to improve the health of employees and their productivity, by creating an atmosphere of health and care for their well-being.

Published in	American Journal of Internal Medicine (Volume 6, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15
Page(s)	73-81
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

BMI, Logistic Regression Model, Male Employees, Obesity, Odds Ratio, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Aramco, Workplace Wellness Model

References

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[2]	Gardner H. H. & Gardner B. D. (2012). Health as Human Capital: Theory and Implications. A New Management Paradigm. Retrieved from: http://www.hcmsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/WP01-HHC-Theory-and-Implications-2012-01-161.pdf.
[3]	Goettler A., Grosse A., Sonntag D. Productivity Loss Due to Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review of Indirect Costs (2017). BMJ Open; 7:e014632. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-014632.
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[5]	Al – Hazzaa H. M. Rising trends in BMI of Saudi Adolescents: Evidence from Three National Cross Sectional Studies (2007). Asia Pac J ClinNutr; 16 (3):462-6.
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[7]	Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare. Retrieved from: http://www.jhah.com/about-JHAH.aspx.
[8]	Mattke S., Liu H., Caloyeras J., Huang Ch. Y., Van Busum K. R., Khodyakov D., & Shier V. (2013). Workplace Wellness Programs Study. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4945172/.
[9]	Al Othanimeen Al, Al – Nozha M., Osman Ak. Obesity an Emerging Problem in Saudi Arabia; Analysis of data from National Nutrition Survey (2007). East Mediterranean Health Journal; 13 (2): 441-8.
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[15]	World Health Organization. Country Cooperation Strategy for WHO and Saudi Arabia (2012-2016). Retrieved from: http://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/113227.
[16]	World Health Organization. Obesity; Preventing and Managing the Global Epidemic. Report of a WHO Consultation on Obesity (2007). Geneva: World Health Organization.
[17]	World Health Organization. Nutrition in Adolescence: Issues and Challenges for the Health Sector (2004). Geneva: World Health Organization.
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APA Style

Alexander Woodman, Nizar Jaoua. (2018). Obesity Among Male Employees at Saudi Aramco: Trends, Factors, and Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Recommendations. American Journal of Internal Medicine, 6(4), 73-81. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15

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ACS Style

Alexander Woodman; Nizar Jaoua. Obesity Among Male Employees at Saudi Aramco: Trends, Factors, and Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Recommendations. Am. J. Intern. Med. 2018, 6(4), 73-81. doi: 10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15

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AMA Style

Alexander Woodman, Nizar Jaoua. Obesity Among Male Employees at Saudi Aramco: Trends, Factors, and Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Recommendations. Am J Intern Med. 2018;6(4):73-81. doi: 10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15

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@article{10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15,
  author = {Alexander Woodman and Nizar Jaoua},
  title = {Obesity Among Male Employees at Saudi Aramco: Trends, Factors, and Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Recommendations},
  journal = {American Journal of Internal Medicine},
  volume = {6},
  number = {4},
  pages = {73-81},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajim.20180604.15},
  abstract = {The purpose of this primary data analysis is to estimate the prevalence of obesity in a specific workplace in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The information would then be used to predict the prevalence of obesity among the male workforce of Saudi Aramco, the largest oil company in the world. A total of N=1,000 male employees (883Saudis, 117non-Saudis), aged 19-65, participated. They were randomly selected from several male Saudi Aramco stations and were asked to take a survey. Chi-square test was used to measure the significance effect of some independent variables on the BMI status. The overall prevalence was estimated, with a confidence level of 95%, at 22.5±2.6% for obesity, 36.7±3% for overweight, and 1±0.6% for underweight. The figures highly depended on the region where they spent their childhood, their age, nationality, and amount of exercise performed per week. For instance, 27.4±4.2% of those who grew up in the Eastern Province were estimated to be obese (vs. 16.5±3.5% among those raised elsewhere in KSA), and 28.7±5% of those who rarely exercise (less than 1 hour per week) were considered obese (vs. 17.8±4.1% among those who work out for at least 3 hours per week). As a result, a logistic model, involving these factors, was used for future prediction. For example, non-Saudis would be about 2.3 times more likely to be obese, and those aged 30-39 would be about 1.9 times more likely to be obese compared to “under 30” and “50 or more” age groups and 1.7 times more likely to be so than those aged 40-49. In addition, the lowest and highest conditional probabilities of obesity relative to this model were determined (6.6% and 66.4%). As a result, the likeliest male employees to be obese; the non-Saudi ones, raised in the Easter Province, aged 30-39 and exercise very little (less than 1h/w), would actually have more than two chances in three to be obese. Based on relatively concerning figures about obesity in male employees of Saudi Aramco, this paper recommends workplace wellness program model to improve the health of employees and their productivity, by creating an atmosphere of health and care for their well-being.},
 year = {2018}
}

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TY - JOUR
T1 - Obesity Among Male Employees at Saudi Aramco: Trends, Factors, and Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Recommendations
AU - Alexander Woodman
AU - Nizar Jaoua
Y1 - 2018/08/07
PY - 2018
N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15
DO - 10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15
T2 - American Journal of Internal Medicine
JF - American Journal of Internal Medicine
JO - American Journal of Internal Medicine
SP - 73
EP - 81
PB - Science Publishing Group
SN - 2330-4324
UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15
AB - The purpose of this primary data analysis is to estimate the prevalence of obesity in a specific workplace in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The information would then be used to predict the prevalence of obesity among the male workforce of Saudi Aramco, the largest oil company in the world. A total of N=1,000 male employees (883Saudis, 117non-Saudis), aged 19-65, participated. They were randomly selected from several male Saudi Aramco stations and were asked to take a survey. Chi-square test was used to measure the significance effect of some independent variables on the BMI status. The overall prevalence was estimated, with a confidence level of 95%, at 22.5±2.6% for obesity, 36.7±3% for overweight, and 1±0.6% for underweight. The figures highly depended on the region where they spent their childhood, their age, nationality, and amount of exercise performed per week. For instance, 27.4±4.2% of those who grew up in the Eastern Province were estimated to be obese (vs. 16.5±3.5% among those raised elsewhere in KSA), and 28.7±5% of those who rarely exercise (less than 1 hour per week) were considered obese (vs. 17.8±4.1% among those who work out for at least 3 hours per week). As a result, a logistic model, involving these factors, was used for future prediction. For example, non-Saudis would be about 2.3 times more likely to be obese, and those aged 30-39 would be about 1.9 times more likely to be obese compared to “under 30” and “50 or more” age groups and 1.7 times more likely to be so than those aged 40-49. In addition, the lowest and highest conditional probabilities of obesity relative to this model were determined (6.6% and 66.4%). As a result, the likeliest male employees to be obese; the non-Saudi ones, raised in the Easter Province, aged 30-39 and exercise very little (less than 1h/w), would actually have more than two chances in three to be obese. Based on relatively concerning figures about obesity in male employees of Saudi Aramco, this paper recommends workplace wellness program model to improve the health of employees and their productivity, by creating an atmosphere of health and care for their well-being.
VL - 6
IS - 4
ER -

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Author Information

Alexander Woodman

Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University & Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Nizar Jaoua

Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

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APA Style

Alexander Woodman, Nizar Jaoua. (2018). Obesity Among Male Employees at Saudi Aramco: Trends, Factors, and Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Recommendations. American Journal of Internal Medicine, 6(4), 73-81. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15

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ACS Style

Alexander Woodman; Nizar Jaoua. Obesity Among Male Employees at Saudi Aramco: Trends, Factors, and Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Recommendations. Am. J. Intern. Med. 2018, 6(4), 73-81. doi: 10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15

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AMA Style

Alexander Woodman, Nizar Jaoua. Obesity Among Male Employees at Saudi Aramco: Trends, Factors, and Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Recommendations. Am J Intern Med. 2018;6(4):73-81. doi: 10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15

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@article{10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15,
  author = {Alexander Woodman and Nizar Jaoua},
  title = {Obesity Among Male Employees at Saudi Aramco: Trends, Factors, and Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Recommendations},
  journal = {American Journal of Internal Medicine},
  volume = {6},
  number = {4},
  pages = {73-81},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajim.20180604.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajim.20180604.15},
  abstract = {The purpose of this primary data analysis is to estimate the prevalence of obesity in a specific workplace in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The information would then be used to predict the prevalence of obesity among the male workforce of Saudi Aramco, the largest oil company in the world. A total of N=1,000 male employees (883Saudis, 117non-Saudis), aged 19-65, participated. They were randomly selected from several male Saudi Aramco stations and were asked to take a survey. Chi-square test was used to measure the significance effect of some independent variables on the BMI status. The overall prevalence was estimated, with a confidence level of 95%, at 22.5±2.6% for obesity, 36.7±3% for overweight, and 1±0.6% for underweight. The figures highly depended on the region where they spent their childhood, their age, nationality, and amount of exercise performed per week. For instance, 27.4±4.2% of those who grew up in the Eastern Province were estimated to be obese (vs. 16.5±3.5% among those raised elsewhere in KSA), and 28.7±5% of those who rarely exercise (less than 1 hour per week) were considered obese (vs. 17.8±4.1% among those who work out for at least 3 hours per week). As a result, a logistic model, involving these factors, was used for future prediction. For example, non-Saudis would be about 2.3 times more likely to be obese, and those aged 30-39 would be about 1.9 times more likely to be obese compared to “under 30” and “50 or more” age groups and 1.7 times more likely to be so than those aged 40-49. In addition, the lowest and highest conditional probabilities of obesity relative to this model were determined (6.6% and 66.4%). As a result, the likeliest male employees to be obese; the non-Saudi ones, raised in the Easter Province, aged 30-39 and exercise very little (less than 1h/w), would actually have more than two chances in three to be obese. Based on relatively concerning figures about obesity in male employees of Saudi Aramco, this paper recommends workplace wellness program model to improve the health of employees and their productivity, by creating an atmosphere of health and care for their well-being.},
 year = {2018}
}

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