A cohort analysis of the cardiovascular risk factors in the employees of a pediatric hospital from 2009 to 2012.

A retrospective longitudinal cohort regression analysis was completed in 853 of the 3435 employees of Cook Children's Hospital who participated all 4 years (2009 to 2012) in an employer wellness program. The presence of the metabolic syndrome (MS) was used as an outcome measure for the success of the wellness program. Data were stratified by weight, gender, and ethnicity. The odds ratios and regression analysis showed a significant decline in MS over the 4 years of the study (P = 0.008), as well as a significant association between MS and obesity and overweight status (P < 0.0001), male gender (P = 0.0018), and all ethnic categories (P < 0.05) except African American ethnicity and the multiple ethnicity category. Age was strongly associated with risk for MS. Overall, the study showed that the wellness program significantly decreased the incidence of MS (P < 0.05).