Cardiovascular health risk behaviors by occupation in the NYC labor force

Objective: We explored associations between occupation and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk behaviors including: Attempted weight loss, physical activity, smoking, and restaurant meal and sugary beverage consumption. Methods: We used NYC Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013 to 2014 data, and coded free-Text, occupational question responses using 2010 US Census Bureau Classification. CVD risk behaviors were compared across occupational categories, using regression to adjust for demographics. Results: There were health behavior differences across occupational categories. Construction/transportation/maintenance workers smoked more and were less likely than management to attempt weight loss, service workers were less likely to eat restaurant-prepared meals, sales/office workers were less likely to be physically active (all P<0.05). Adjusting for demographics, differences in health behaviors were reduced, but remained present. Conclusions: Knowledge of occupational disparities may aid chronic disease prevention by identifying populations for targeted interventions.