MOORABOOL’S blue-collar workers are risking their health with poor diets and dangerous levels of alcohol consumption, a new study has revealed.
Eighty-seven manufacturing and construction workers in Moorabool took part in WorkHealth checks between April 2009 and April this year.
Results released last week show nearly half of all men surveyed and a third of women drank alcohol at “risky levels”.
While the study captured only 1.6 per cent of the shire’s working population, it shows the average Moorabool male worker drank 3.3 standard drinks a day, while women drank 2.7 standard drinks.
About 14 per cent of male workers were smokers, well below the state average (20 per cent).
Nearly 90 per cent of those tested had an inadequate fruit and vegetable intake; almost 50 per cent of men and 25 per cent of females had high blood pressure; and one third of all workers had an above-average waist circumference.
More than a quarter of men and one fifth of women were assessed as having a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. While the checks revealed men were unhealthier that women, more women assessed their own health as “poor”.
Lap Surgery Australia dietitian Laura Jones said employers needed to provide nutrition education programs for staff, particularly migrants and workers from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
“There is a direct link between lower socio-economic status, lack of education and unhealthy eating,” she said.
“Educating staff on healthy lifestyle and eating practices has the potential to create an outcome where people are healthier and this can have a direct effect on their work performance.” Ms Jones called for employers to offer healthier eating options at work.
WorkSafe director Pam Anders said it was difficult to draw a clear picture of Moorabool’s working-class health from such a small test sample.
“Moorabool has a small workforce and half of that number work outside the region,” she said.
“But this should be a call to action to employers and employees to get involved. These checks are free, done on site and are all over in 15 minutes.”
Earlier this year, the Weekly reported the rate of weight problems among Moorabool residents was slightly above the national, state and regional average.
