Background and Objectives: The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is increasing in the world. Different factors can influence the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, due to the special situation and sensitive work environment and too much caring for patients, nurses may be at greater risk of heart diseases. This study aimed to determine the frequency of cardiovascular diseases and some of their risk factors and their relationship to gender among nurses.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive research carried out at 2012 in emergency and intensive wards of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences hospitals. Using stratified sampling 400 out of 650 nurses were selected. The data collection tool included two parts, one questionnaire for personal and family history of the disease and one checklist for blood tests results. Collected data were analyzed by SPSS Ver. 13 and descriptive and analytical statistics.
Results: According to the result of this study 57.5% of samples were female With the mean age of 30.8±6.25 years, 88.8% had bachelor’s degree, and.8%were working at rotating shifts. Triglyceride and diastolic hypertension were the maximum (30.8%) and the minimum (10.8) cardiac risk factors among samples, respectively. Also, the frequency of hypertension, hypertriglycemia, and hyperglycemia in women was more than men. No significant relationships were found between cardiovascular risk factors and nurses gender.
Conclusion: The frequency of cardiovascular risk factors among female nurses was more than males. Participation in screening and educational programs is recommended for nurses in order to modify the cardiovascular risk factors especially hypertension.