Office work a leading cause of heart disease
What you need to know:
- This is according to Year 2014 Health Report by the department of non-communicable diseases, quoted by Oracle Consulting Company during an employee wellness training.
- Eighty per cent of these diseases are preventable, says the report.
- Working for many hours without rest, lack of exercise and poor eating habits are behind an increase in hypertension, diabetes and cancer.
Working for many hours without rest, lack of exercise and poor eating habits are behind an increase in hypertension, diabetes and cancer.
Twenty to 30 per cent of adult Kenyans have hypertension, and Sh1.9 billion was spent on its medication last year alone.
This is according to Year 2014 Health Report by the department of non-communicable diseases, quoted by Oracle Consulting Company during an employee wellness training.
Another 28,000 cancer-related deaths occur a year, while five to 10 per cent of the adult population has diabetes, states the report.
Most of these illnesses are brought about by unhealthy lifestyle practices such as working long hours without rest or break, bad eating habits, lack of exercise, excessive drinking and smoking.
The report projects that before the age of 75, 13.8 per cent of men and 7 per cent of women will have a heart attack, while 6.8 per cent of men and 5.2 per cent of women will suffer a stroke.
PREVENTABLE
An additional 20.2 per cent of men and 16.2 per cent of women will be diagnosed with cancer, and 17.2 per cent of men and 13.8 per cent of women will suffer other critical illnesses. According to the report, the leading non-communicable disease are cardiovascular, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.
Eighty per cent of these diseases are preventable, says the report.
Employers have now been advised to support their workers through sponsoring health and wellness programmes to boost their productivity in the workplace.
In his presentation, managing psycho-social issues at the workplace during a three-day training held at Royal Court Hotel, Behaviour Change Specialist Dedan Ondiege also warned that stress led to lifestyle diseases.
“Stress is related to illnesses such as high blood pressure, digestive disorders, ulcers, migraines, cardiovascular disease and depression,” he told 15 participants from various organisations at the wellness champions training organised by the Aga Khan Development Network and Oracle Consulting Company.
