Effect of Body Mass Index on Psycho-physical Occupational Health of Doctors in India: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Doctors in the current scenario are always exposed to constant and sustained levels of physical and mental stress. As they form backbone of healthcare industry, the health of clinicians themselves is a very significant factor towards providing good health to all.

This study aims to determine the effect of body mass index on work related musculoskeletal discomfort (WMSD) and occupational stress (OS) in clinicians. This will establish a relation between obesity and psycho-physical health of clinicians.

The descriptive study with inferential design was conducted on 200 clinicians working in OPD clinics of various departments of our Medical College, and various private hospitals and clinics of Jalandhar with approximate duration of study being one year.  BMI was calculated as ratio of Weight (kg) to the square of height (m). Over 40-year-old clinicians were more likely to report having a high BMI, and surgeons were more likely to experience it than medical doctors. Majority (n = 115) 57.5% of the clinicians were found to have mild musculoskeletal discomfort followed by no discomfort (23%) while 19.5% of them exhibited moderate to severe discomfort. Female doctors showed more level of discomfort than male doctors. The relationship between BMI and questionnaire score is highly significant. Clinicians with a BMI greater than 25 had a higher percentage (57.4%) of moderate to severe OS.

BMI is favorably correlated with clinicians' physical and mental health, particularly in the middle-aged group.  This information serves as an awareness and warning signal for the clinicians to protect their own health.