Ambrosius Purba

Description of physical fitness, blood glucose, and cholesterol levels of the middle age operational workers in transportation company

Background: Physical fitness (PF) is a key to maintain company productivity. The transportation company has complicated jobs and high physical demand. Aging, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle can decrease PF and work productivity. Maintain the good PF is necessary to increase productivity in aging employee. However, load and type of work seem did not affect significant to the PF from middle age workers from transportation company models. Aims and Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the PF status among transportation company employees. Materials and Method: A total of 340 transportation company workers, divided into officer and engineer group, were participated in a randomized study. Body mass index (BMI), vital lung capacity, and recovery pulse were measured to examine the PF in both the groups. Fasting venous blood was taken and subjected to glucose and total cholesterol examination. Results: Prevalence of low PF was found in 62% of population, and only 12% of the population has an average level and interestingly only 1% showed a good PF level. Average of BMI level is 25.5, total cholesterol 208 ± 25.1 mg/dL, and fasting blood glucose 94.23 mg/dL. Engineer worker group showed the lower level in BMI, waist circumference, and pulse recovery in 1 min compared to office worker and showed that there is no significant difference in lung capacity. Conclusion: Based on these results, transportation company worker age > 45 years old have poor VO2max, hypercholesterolemia, and slight overweight. Exercise treatment program may be a very good approach for optimizing quality of life the workers.