PD603 - BEYOND BMI: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, BODY COMPOSITION, AND MUSCLE PERFORMANCE IN HEALTHCARE WORKERS

PD603

BEYOND BMI: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, BODY COMPOSITION, AND MUSCLE PERFORMANCE IN HEALTHCARE WORKERS

G. A. ZAPATA MALDONADO^1,*, M. DIEZ MUÑIZ-ALIQUE¹, M. D. ANDREU GOSÁLBEZ¹, I. TEJADO ELVIRO¹, P. VICENTE GÓMEZ¹

¹ENDOCRINOLOGY AND NUTRITION, HOSPITAL DE SIERRALLANA, TORRELAVEGA, Spain

Rationale: Healthcare workers may be at risk of impaired morphofunctional health. We assessed whether physical activity level is associated with body composition and muscle function in this population.

Methods: Cross-sectional study of 276 volunteer healthcare workers. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), expressed as metabolic equivalent (MET) minutes/week. Body composition (body mass index (BMI), fat mass, visceral fat, lean mass) was measured by bioimpedance. Muscle performance was evaluated by handgrip strength (HGS) and the 5-repetition sit-to-stand test (5R-STS). Dominant rectus femoris ultrasound measured cross-sectional area (CSA) and muscle thickness. Group comparisons, Spearman correlations and multivariable regression were performed.

Results: Mean age was 48.4±9.5 years; 84.1% were women and 39.9% were shift workers. Mean physical activity was 2405±1948 MET·min/week (12.5% low; 41.5% high). High vs low activity was associated with lower BMI (24.2 vs 28.5 kg/m2) and visceral fat (5 vs 9; all p≤0.001), higher HGS (33.9 vs 30.8 kg; p=0.023) and faster 5R-STS (5.1 vs 5.7 s; p<0.001). METs independently predicted HGS (β=0.101; p=0.009) and 5R-STS (β=−0.153; p=0.007). Nursing care assistants showed the least favourable profile. CSA was greater in high vs low-activity participants (5.1 vs 4.1 cm2; p<0.001), correlated with HGS (ρ=0.451–0.491) and inversely with 5R-STS (ρ=−0.196 to −0.244; all p<0.001), without association with BMI or visceral fat (p>0.05). Shift workers showed lower activity levels and smaller CSA.

Conclusion: Higher physical activity is associated with lower adiposity and better muscle performance in healthcare workers. Quadriceps ultrasound provides a BMI-independent marker of muscle health and may support targeted workplace prevention.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared