Sedentary work and diabetes among individuals aged 15 years and older in India based on national family health survey 5

Occupational health is a neglected topic in India, and the type of occupation can have harmful effects on the metabolic health of people, especially diabetes. This study aimed to determine the association between type of occupation particularly sedentary versus physically active work and prevalence of diabetes among Indian men aged 15–54 years and women aged 15–49 years using data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5). It also aimed to identify key socio-demographic and behavioural factors associated with diabetes in this population. A nationally representative dataset of India comprising 82,553 male and 96,535 female respondents was used to categorise individuals into three occupational categories: sedentary workers (SW), non-sedentary workers (NSW), and those not currently working (NW). Survey weights were applied. Both bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression models were employed to account for socio-demographic variables and also to examine the association between the type of occupation and prevalence of diabetes. Spatial maps were used to depict interstate variation of the proportion of SW by gender. The prevalence of diabetes among men and women was 3.77% and 2.79%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression model included, independent variables that were significant at p < 0.25 in bivariate analysis. Among both men and women, SWs (AOR: 1.27, CI: 1.09–1.50; AOR: 1.48, CI: 1.16–1.88) had higher odds for diabetes. Age, urban residence, richest wealth status, and at-risk waist-hip ratio, overweight/obese, body mass index (BMI) were also found to be associated with diabetes (p < 0.05). Northern state of Ladakh showed highest prevalence of diabetes among SW men and women (19.2%, 17.4%) respectively. The observed association between sedentary occupational roles and diabetes provides a basis for identifying work-related health vulnerabilities, design effective interventions to decrease the risk of diabetes. These findings also help in targeting specific states for formulating action plans focused on occupational health in India.